


The Glass Mask

by Anath_Tsurugi



Series: Roses and Thorns (A Collection of Fairytales) [5]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Cinderella - Freeform, Durincest, M/M, Mpreg, Sibling Incest, Suicidal Thoughts, dubcon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-18
Updated: 2013-07-21
Packaged: 2017-12-20 14:13:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/888192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anath_Tsurugi/pseuds/Anath_Tsurugi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just as love can bring the greatest joy, it can also bring the greatest sorrow. What happens when a young prince falls in love with his brother and the night at the ball ends in a horrible mistake? Will Fili and Kili ever be the same again? A Cinderella story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PadBlack](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PadBlack/gifts).



> So, the birth of this story is a rather interesting tale in and of itself. I hadn't seriously considered doing a Cinderella story, as it didn't seem possible to do it and still have Fili and Kili be brothers, but then a reader asked for it and I thought, 'Hmm, maybe I could figure out some way for this to work,' and then ideas just sort of started flooding in and…here we stand. So yes, PadBlack, this one is for you. The only other thing I can really say is…oh, my, and you thought I was mean to them before…

_Once upon a time, which is all times and no times, but not the very best of times, there lived two brothers who loved each other very much. These were no ordinary dwarf brothers, mind, but princes. Their uncle was king of a prosperous kingdom and it just so happened that the dwarf king had no sons of his own. When they were still quite young, the elder of the two brothers was officially named as the king's heir, and his little brother was very happy for him._

XxX

"So what are you going to do once you _are_ king?" eight-year-old Kili asked as he crawled under a rosebush with his thirteen-year-old brother, Fili. The two princes especially enjoyed playing in the palace gardens. They could pretend they were great warriors on a campaign or explorers charting unexplored lands, whatever they liked. Today, though, they were not playing games. They were just hiding from everyone else, very excited about the news that their uncle, Thorin, had named Fili as the crown prince. Fili grinned as he pulled his little brother into his lap, the two of them cuddling close together in the confined space.

"Oh, I'll probably just throw you in the dungeon whenever you beat me at cards," he teased, tickling his brother without mercy.

"Fi!" Kili laughed, though his struggle to get away was half-hearted at best. "Fili, that's not fair! Stop!"

"Say I win," Fili pressed continuing his onslaught.

"Never!" the young dwarf declared valiantly through a bout of helpless laughter. "I will never surrender!"

Finally, when Fili had worn them both out, the two brothers collapsed into a fit of giggles, tangled up in each other, both lacking the strength to separate. So for a long while, they just lay there giggling quietly.

"By Mahal, you're a stubborn little thing, baby brother. You'll never give up, will you?"

Kili shook his head, his dark eyes bright with mirth. "No…not until I get what I want."

"No wonder you always get the last tart," Fili said mournfully, seeming to think about something for several minutes before fixing his eyes back on Kili. "You know…when I'm king, I want to have _you_ as my consort."

Kili wrinkled his nose at this. "Come on, Brother. Be serious."

"I _am_ serious. I need someone I can trust…and we can't trust anyone in the court. You're the only one I can trust, Kili," he said, his tone firm.

"But…they don't even know if I have the second spirit yet. You…you need someone who can have children."

"You _will_ have the second spirit. I can feel it. You're special, Kili."

Among their people, to have a second spirit meant that one could both father and bear children. There were only a handful of two-spirited dwarves and the court physician, Oin, had long suspected that Kili might be one of them, but such a thing wouldn't become apparent until he was older.

"Do…do you not want to?" Fili asked when Kili didn't say anything.

"Oh, I _want_ to…nobody else is good enough for you," the little boy insisted…but for the first time in his young life, another thought entirely occurred to him. "I just wonder…if _I_ am."

"You are," Fili immediately reassured him. "Like I said, you're the only one I trust," he said, leaning in to press a shy, chaste kiss to his brother's lips.

It lasted only a few moments, and both boys blushed when they pulled away from each other, not quite able to look each other in the eye.

"Remember that, little brother. You're the only one," Fili said before climbing out from under the rosebush, leaving Kili alone to think about what had just happened. Brushing his fingers against his lips, the young dwarf felt his face grow just a little warmer.

XxX

 _Years passed and childhood dreams seemed to be forgotten…except that the younger prince did not forget. He remembered that gentle kiss everyday…and as he grew, his childish infatuation blossomed into a burning desire. He protected his brother from the dwarves of the court who wished to gain status by earning a night in the crown prince's bed…and was forced to acknowledge the ache in his heart when his older brother very occasionally met another dwarf he actually_ _**wanted** _ _to sleep with. The young prince was in love with his own brother, and while this was not a thing looked down upon as it was in some of the neighboring kingdoms…love in the royal court was a dangerous thing. It could be used against him…especially seeing as how his brother clearly did not return his feelings. Of course, he had_ **_told_ ** _him once that he wanted him for his consort, but they had been only children then and things were different now._

_When it finally became apparent that the young prince was, in fact, two-spirited, there was immediately talk of marrying him to one of the other noble houses in order to strengthen weakening alliances. Of course, all of those houses were throwing their own eligible children at the crown prince for consideration._

_Interestingly enough, despite being surrounded by the eligible high born of the land, the crown prince didn't seem to take a liking to any of them. Whenever he did choose someone to share his bed, it was always one who stood absolutely no chance of ascending to the role of consort, or one who could not bear him a child. The prince's mother and the king tried their best to discover what was wrong, but they could never get an answer from him. Finally, at their wits end, the king and his sister announced that there would be a grand masked ball in honor of the prince's eightieth birthday and all of the marriageable dwarves from all the noble houses would be required to attend. As it was clearly not looks the prince was interested in, perhaps if they eliminated that factor from the courting process, the prince could find someone he could connect with._

_Much as it angered and saddened the younger prince that his precious brother was being held before these ravenous dwarves like a scrap of meat, his greatest heartbreak was still to come…only a week before the masked ball._

XxX

"You wished to speak with me, Uncle?" Kili asked as he entered Thorin's study. The young prince immediately grew nervous when he saw that the only other person in the room besides his uncle was his mother. They wanted to speak with him in private…away from the prying eyes of the nobles. What could it mean?

Thorin continued to pour over the map he was looking at for several more minutes before looking up at Kili with a small smile on his face.

"Yes, Sister-son. There is an important alliance your mother and I wish to speak with you about."

"Really?" Kili made himself ask, feeling his heart sink. The word 'alliance' was really just another word for 'marriage.'

"Yes. As you are aware, we are on the brink of war with the elves. We will need Lord Dwalin's legions at the front if we are to stand a chance in this fight."

"Yes. What's that to do with me?"

"Well…Dwalin has long been searching for a consort and…having found no one suited to his tastes…he asked for a dwarf of my own court. He asked for you specifically."

For a moment, Kili was frozen in horror. Of course he _knew_ why Dwalin wanted him. The warrior lord and his uncle were the truest of friends and had even shared an intimate relationship when they were much younger. Even though their relationship had ended long before Kili was born, the young dwarf had often heard he looked a great deal like Thorin had in his youth, and as Dwalin had never found a partner who was his equal and could also bear his heirs, perhaps he was looking to recapture some of what he'd had with Thorin in Kili. He'd probably been planning this ever since it had been announced that Kili was two-spirited and able to bear children. The bidding war for Kili had been almost as fierce as the one for Fili, but if Dwalin asked something of him, everyone knew Thorin would never turn him down. This marriage would not be to cement an alliance, because Dwalin would never turn from Thorin. Kili would be sold into this marriage because his uncle would never deny his friend.

"Why me?" Kili finally made himself ask, feeling his throat tighten with sorrow and tears sting behind his eyes, though he refused to allow his grief through to the surface.

"Because you are the one Dwalin wants. He cares for you and I know you at least admire him. Perhaps you will grow to love him with time. I know you've been melancholy these last few decades. I can't pretend to understand why, but I think it would be good for you to leave Erebor. I think you will be happy in Ered Luin…away from whatever it is here that burdens you so."

"Unless…there is someone else you love, my son," Dis interrupted softly, meeting her child's gaze with a piercing one of her own. "Is there another you would wed, Kili?"

For a moment, they both stared at him, as if they expected something from him…an argument, or the name of some secret beloved, but Kili only shook his head.

"No," he lied. "There is no one my heart desires. I will do my duty."

XxX

"The marriage will take place within the month…on Midsummer's Eve," Kili cried, unable to stop the tears that streamed from his eyes. "No doubt they think Fili will choose someone at his birthday celebration and they can have a double wedding."

"And is there any particular reason you didn't tell them there _is_ someone you love?" Oin asked him while mixing up his latest concoction. The court physician and many other members of the castle staff were aware of Kili's feelings for Fili, but of course, it was not their place to say anything.

"What good would that do…when Fili's heart has not chosen mine in return?"

"And you know this for a fact, do you?" the old dwarf asked.

"I can see it…when he looks at me. There is no desire in his eyes. He sees me as a brother…nothing more. He would hate me if I revealed my heart to him now…or worse…it would cause him pain that he cannot return my love. Our brotherhood would be destroyed. I couldn't bear that," Kili said, his breathing unsteady as he leaned against the soot-stained wall of Oin's workshop.

"What will you do, then?"

"I…I would spend the time I have left with Fili. I would give him all of my love for all our days that will never come. I would dance with him on his birthday…and I'd…I would have one last kiss of him…before I walk out of his life forever…and Dwalin takes me to his bed to bear his children."

"Well…why can't you?"

"What?"

"Why can't you have one last night with your brother? What could it hurt?"

"No, he'd…he'd recognize me. He wouldn't dance with me in front of all his suitors. I would shame him."

"If it's your identity you fear, I may be able to help you with that."

"How?" Kili asked, feeling a faint spark of hope ignite in his chest.

"With this," Oin began, reaching a pair of tongs into the cauldron he'd been working at and pulling out a mask. The piece was crafted of fine black glass and would conceal the upper half of the wearer's face. As Kili looked at the mask, he felt a strange sort of warmth settle in his stomach…almost like…comfort.

"A mask?" the young prince asked, awaiting an explanation.

"Yes. As you know, I can work a little magic, and I am certainly willing to tax what power I do have for you, my prince. So long as you wear this mask, no one will be able to recognize you. There is a spell woven into the glass that will turn away the perceptions of anyone who looks at you. Even Fili will not be able to recognize you as the beloved baby brother he grew up with. To him, you will simply be a dark, handsome stranger. I don't see how he could possibly resist you. Wear this to the ball and you shall have exactly what you want."

A slightly bitter smile lit Kili's face at this. He sighed as he took the mask from Oin, looking over every detail. "Oin…will this really work?"

"Absolutely, lad. I'll chop off my right hand if it doesn't."

XxX

"Is it true?!" Fili demanded as he burst into Kili's chamber. Kili nearly dropped the glass mask in shock and only just managed to stuff it under his pillow before Fili seized his shoulder and spun him around.

"Is _what_ true, Brother?"

"They say you are to be betrothed to Dwalin!"

"It _is_ true," he said stiffly, shrugging Fili's hand from his shoulder.

"But _why?_ You don't love Dwalin, and he certainly wouldn't demand your hand if you didn't want to give it. Why should you marry him?"

Suddenly feeling angry, Kili pushed his brother away. "You don't know how I feel about Dwalin. You don't know how I feel about _anyone!_ Maybe I've secretly been in love with him for years and you've just been too _blind_ to see it."

Fili took another step back, looking as if Kili had physically struck him. "That…that's not true."

"You don't know that. You don't know anything. You have no _idea_ who I love, Fili!" he shouted, turning away from him and moving over to his window so his brother wouldn't see how badly this was affecting him. Several minutes of silence passed before he felt Fili move in close to him.

"Then…then I'll ask you," he started hesitantly, laying a hand back on his shoulder. "Kili…dear little brother…does anything pierce that stubborn shell of yours? Is…is there someone you love?"

Kili's heart was breaking, he wanted to tell him the truth so badly. His throat closed tightly against the tears as his body trembled.

 _It's you. It's_ _**you,** _ _you fool! It's_ **_always_ ** _been you. I_ **_love you,_ ** _Fili! I need you more than I need air to breathe! But you can't see that…can you…because you don't love me in return. I must bear this weight alone…to protect you from the pain of it._

"No," he whispered harshly, barely managing to keep his voice in check. He was mere inches from bursting into tears.

"You're lying," Fili said gently as he wrapped his arms around him. There was a twinge of hurt in his own voice as he pulled him close. "I can see how deeply this marriage pains you. Who is it that's broken my beloved baby brother's heart?"

Kili didn't cry out loud, but he couldn't stop the tears from coming. He nearly choked holding back his sobs while the teardrops ran silently down his face. All he really wanted to do was curl up on his bed with Fili and let him hold him while he cried, as they'd done when they were children…but they were children no longer. Now was the time to step up and be the dwarf his love needed him to be…to make the necessary sacrifice and allow Fili to live his destiny.

"Someone I can't have," he answered softly when he finally had control of his voice again. He shuddered when he felt Fili's face nuzzle against the back of his neck.

"Don't cry, Kili. Please don't be sad. I'll make things right again, I promise. I'll talk to Thorin."

"Fili…don't…"

"I just…I hate to see you being used this way," Fili said, hugging him a little tighter. Kili took comfort from it.

"I will be sold in marriage…the same as you. There's nothing to be done about it. The engagement will be announced at the ball," he said, leaning his head back against his brother. Briefly, he caught the scent of Fili's golden hair and breathed in deeply. How many minutes remained to them? How many hours? The sound of their breath, of each heartbeat…how many did they have left before their inevitable separation?

"One week?" Fili breathed, a hint of despair in his voice. "Only…one week…before he takes you away from me."

"Fili," Kili exhaled his brother's name on a broken breath, turning to face him. For what felt like a very long time, they just stood, gazing uncertainly at each other. The one to finally break the strange trance was Kili, who slowly reached out a hand to touch his brother's cheek. Fili brought up his own hand to lay it on top of Kili's.

"Kili…?"

"Can…can I sleep with you tonight?" he asked, his voice little more than a whisper. They hadn't slept in the same bed since they were in their thirties.

"Yes…and every night we have left. Don't be afraid, Kili. I promise I won't let them do this to you. I'll see you get your happiness. Even…even if…" Before Fili could allow himself to finish, he quickly seized Kili's hand in both of his, roughly kissing the palm before sweeping out of the room, leaving Kili utterly confused as to what had happened.

XxX

**_I'll see you get your happiness…even if I become unhappy._ **

_That was the thought that was ever in the crown prince's mind. He had never once stopped wanting his beloved brother as his consort…only the world just kept getting in the way._

_The prince felt he had done wrong, kissing his brother that first time…they were both so young. So he'd decided to wait, see if the spark was still there when they were of the proper age. However, when the announcement of his brother's second spirit finally came, when he was considered old enough, the prince feared that the spark that had existed between them had been forgotten by his younger brother. The young prince never spoke of the time beneath the rosebush and he was afraid to bring it up for fear that he would drive his brother away. The young prince didn't even seem to_ _**remember** _ _the words they'd spoken to each other. Was it selfish of him to risk destroying what they already had for the pale hope they could be something more? Could he bear to lose the one person he truly loved to selfish desire, anger, and pain?_

_No was the prince's ultimate answer to himself. He couldn't bear to lose his brother…so he stayed away, not revealing his true feelings, and even though it caused him great pain to know that his brother loved another, he would stop at nothing to see that the one he loved was happy. He spoke with their uncle, as he'd promised, but the king would not heed his pleas. The only way he would call off the engagement was if the young prince himself came to him and said he did not want it, which he would not do, no matter how much the crown prince begged him._

_By the time the night of the masked ball arrived, the young prince claimed he felt unwell and would not be able to attend. While the crown prince hated seeing his brother feeling poorly, he was also pleased he would not be on the arm of the dwarf who was stealing him away from him for at least one more night._

XxX

"How are you feeling?" Fili asked his brother as he entered his own room, where they'd both been sleeping for the past week. Kili had tried to return to his own room when he'd said he was starting to feel sick two nights ago, but Fili simply wouldn't allow it. He'd remained by his brother's side every minute…except just now when the servants had had to prepare him for the ball.

"Perhaps not quite so nauseous as I did this morning," Kili said, offering his brother a weak smile.

"That's good, because I sent for the cooks to bring up some broth. Are you feeling up for it?" Fili asked, sitting down on the bed beside Kili. The younger dwarf nodded.

"I think I could handle it. You look very handsome tonight," Kili said, admiring the gold and fawn colored clothing his brother was dressed up in. "They'll never be able to resist you."

"Come on. We both know you'd be the more handsome if you were attending," Fili said, leaning over his brother and pressing their foreheads together. "I so wish you could be there tonight," he whispered to him, running his fingers through several strands of Kili's lovely dark hair. "I'll be utterly bored and miserable without you. All these vultures circling me like a dead bull…"

Kili managed a quiet laugh at this, reaching up to tangle his own fingers in his brother's blond hair. "Have faith, Brother. You will find someone…someone who is…worthy of everything you are."

"I'd like to know _you've_ found that, as well, baby brother. I wish you'd tell me who it is that's stolen your heart," the older prince said, his grip on his brother tightening just slightly. Kili returned the grip without even thinking.

"That isn't important. After tonight…nothing else will matter," he said, feeling his body begin to tremble when he felt Fili's hot breath ghost across his lips. Kili felt desire beginning to pool in his stomach. If something happened now, he didn't think he'd be able to hold himself back. They were so close…

"Kili…" Fili whispered, feeling heat prickle all along his skin. The desire to press his brother down onto the bed and take him was nearly overpowering. Was…was he truly capable of taking Kili against his will…when he was helpless like this…when he couldn't fight back?

The answer came to him when he felt Kili trembling against his touch. Whether it was from sickness or fear, he didn't know, but he immediately backed off, reaching for the blankets to tuck his brother in again. Kili just stared at him as he worked, eyes blown wide with something Fili couldn't identify, his breathing labored and heavy.

"Get some rest, little brother. You'll be feeling better in no time," he reassured him, moving away from the bed to retrieve his golden mask from his desk.

"Y-yes…of course. Have at least a little fun for me tonight, won't you?"

"No promises, but I'll try," he said, turning to head out.

"Aren't you going to kiss your bedridden baby brother goodnight?"

Kili had no idea what spiteful demon had taken hold of him in that moment to make him speak those words, but now they _had_ been spoken and could not be reclaimed. He had tried to sound joking, but knew it had come out sounding more hopeful…at least to his own ears. For yet another eternity, the brothers were frozen in the silence, neither knowing what to do. What would happen if they got too close again? They might not be able to resist this time…

Finally, Fili turned back to Kili, offering him a warm smile. "Of course," he made himself say, walking back to the bed and bending over his brother once again. They were both too consumed with fear to notice, but they were both trembling now. Brushing the sweat-dampened hair back from Kili's face, Fili pressed his lips to his brow. Kili couldn't help the tiny gasp that escaped his own lips at the mere brush of skin. Fili near jerked back, feeling as if he'd been burned.

"Good…good night. Sleep well," he mumbled, staring fixedly at the floor.

"Th-thank you," Kili stuttered right back. "Happy birthday. I…I hope you…find your happiness tonight."

Fili turned away and started to head out, so Kili hardly heard his last words, but what he said as he closed the door behind him was, "I'm afraid, my little brother…that's impossible."

_My happiness remains here…with you._

Kili gave it plenty of time…to make certain that his brother had really left and to give the cook time to deliver the broth Fili had sent for. Once Kili was certain he was completely alone, he moved quietly back to his own room, retrieving the glass mask from its hiding place. There was work to be done.

XxX

Oin's spell must have been a powerful one indeed, for Kili almost didn't recognize him _self_ when he looked to the mirror to study his reflection. He was still himself; the hair and eyes were his, the build his, the blue and black dress clothes were his…but he was still somehow _not_ himself. There was something mysterious and alluring about him that he didn't see in himself. Perhaps…Fili really wouldn't be able to recognize him…and he would be able to have this last dance, after all.

Kili used his knowledge of the castle's layout in order to arrive at the great hall unseen. No one could know he had come from within the palace. No one could know where he'd come from at all if he was to fade back into the shadows once the night was over.

He recognized several of the guests, even through their masks. Dwalin was there, of course, along with Dain of the Iron Hills, the lord who had been vying the absolute hardest to get his youngest son engaged to Fili. It wasn't that hard to spot the old lord's three sons from there: Dori, Nori, and Ori. Ori and Fili were trying to carry on a conversation at the moment, but it looked to be painfully awkward from where he was standing.

Kili had planned to make a quiet entrance, to approach Fili on his own, but unfortunately, that just wasn't going to be possible.

XxX

Fili was relieved beyond belief when his uncle made a call for silence. Ori was a nice kid, but he was barely of age and not very good in crowds. Plus, they were just plain not suited to each other, so he had a good mind to tell Dain where he could stick his promises of alliance and wealth. Thorin didn't really _need_ Dain's province, so Fili didn't understand what the old bastard thought he had that could get him into the royal court.

Sadly, Fili's relief at being rescued from the conversation soon evaporated when he realized just why silence had been called. The announcement had to happen sooner or later.

"Friends!" Thorin called to the great hall at large. "Of course we all know why we're gathered here this night…to celebrate the birth of my heir and sister-son, Crown Prince Fili, but we have yet another joy to celebrate. Unfortunately, Prince Kili could not attend the festivities this evening, but it is our great pleasure to announce to you all that the prince will be betrothed to Lord Dwalin of Ered Luin!"

As cheers and applause went up all around the room, Fili felt like he was probably the only one there who felt like ripping his own heart out. It would probably be better than this knowledge that Kili would be taken away from him.

Fili wasn't really present when the ball continued without him. He didn't quite see who he was dancing with anymore. All he could think about was Kili…right up until his gaze was drawn across the room by a sight he simply could not turn away from.

He was positive he had never seen this new dwarf before…and yet another part of him screamed just as loudly that he _must_ know this person. Everything about him was just so familiar…the way he moved, the spark in his brown eyes, the swish of his dark hair around the strong line of his neck, the uncertain smile that tried to curve his full lips…he had stared at those lips so often. He _knew_ this dwarf, the knowledge was inside of him; every piece of him that mattered remembered this dwarf…and yet…every time his eyes fell on the other dwarf's black mask, the rational part of his mind stated quite plainly that he'd never seen him before. Fili didn't even apologize when he moved away from his current dance partner, so entranced was he by this new dwarf.

The young dwarf clearly knew Fili had spotted him. Their eyes did not leave each other once as Fili made his way through the crowd of revelers. When the prince finally reached his intended target, the two of them just stood staring at each other for several minutes. When they finally managed to break the spell, Fili didn't even need to ask him to dance. He simply held out his hand and the stranger took it. Fili pulled him close against him, their bodies fitting together in a way that was almost uncanny. When they began to dance, it almost seemed that both of them breathed a sigh of relief. They couldn't have known it, focused on each other as they were, but the whispers were already drifting through the hall. Who was this dashing young dwarf that had so captured the crown prince?

"You're very handsome," Fili complimented his mysterious partner as they waltzed together, still unable to get his mind around the mystery of why he did and did not know this dwarf.

"Thank you, Your Majesty…but I'm nothing compared to you. You are the sun itself. I am but the moon," his partner said, his voice instantly stirring both familiarity and desire in the prince's body. The other dwarf had a faint smile on his face…like he couldn't quite believe he was really here.

"But that would mean you could only reflect beauty…and that just isn't possible. What I see before me is no reflection. It is only truth," he said softly, to which his partner offered him a gentle smile, and Fili felt absolutely struck by the loving familiarity of that smile.

"You are too kind, Your Highness."

"What is your name?"

"E-excuse me?" his partner returned, almost seeming to choke on the words.

"You know who I am, of course, but you have me at a disadvantage. I don't know who _you_ are."

"I…my name is…Kir. I'm Kir," he finally answered.

"Just Kir?"

"Yes…just Kir. That's all that matters for tonight."

"Well…Kir…have we ever met before?"

"I don't believe so, my prince."

"I'm not so sure…for I feel as if I have known you my whole life. My heart tells me I know you, but my head…my head will not agree," he confessed, whirling his partner…Kir…around.

"Sadly, I can offer you no more than that, my prince. I'm certain I would remember meeting you…for you are truly the most beautiful being in all of creation."

"You flatter me, Kir," Fili said, more out of habit, for he could never believe such a thing of this dwarf.

"No," he returned with utter sincerity. "Never."

They had hardly spoken at all…not anything of consequence, at least…and yet Fili already felt connected to this dwarf, so much so that he didn't want to let go of him when the song had come to an end. He _would not_ give his partner up to another dwarf.

"Will you walk with me?" he whispered in his partner's ear. Briefly, he thought he felt the other dwarf shiver.

"As you wish, my prince."

Fili took Kir by the hand and led him from the great hall, out into the palace gardens. The two brothers hadn't played there for many years now, but he and Kir wound up in an alcove he and Kili had used to play in when they were children. He didn't know why, but he felt safe here…safe from the prying eyes that were almost certainly watching every move he made…every dwarf his eyes lingered on a moment too long. For some reason, he didn't want those eyes to see Kir. He had never cared before…with the few partners he'd had in the past…but he felt protective of this one for reasons he had no hope of explaining. He wanted to keep this one safe.

"Kir…I…I know we've only just met, so…I hope you will not think me too forward in saying you are the loveliest creature I have ever beheld," Fili said softly, stroking some of his dark hair back from his face. He didn't know _why_ he said it, for surely it was a lie. _Kili_ was the loveliest. _Kili_ was the one he was in love with. Who _was_ this dwarf?

"Now _you_ flatter _me,_ Your Majesty," his partner said, glancing shyly away from him.

"Fili," he insisted quietly, running a gentle finger along the other dwarf's jaw line. "My name is Fili."

"All right…Fili."

The crown prince felt something inside of him shatter at the sound of his name on the other dwarf's lips…some sort of control…something he'd been holding back for years…so many years. Feeling at once broken and jubilant, he pulled his partner into his arms and pressed his lips against his.

Kili felt both joy and heartbreak when his brother finally kissed him. It made his heart swell that Fili thought him so beautiful as all that…but he wasn't certain what that meant. Could it…could it possibly be that his brother had been attracted to him all along…or did it mean that Oin's spell was even stronger than he'd known…that this magic was seducing his brother…that all of this was somehow against his will…and that if they went even one step farther, what he was doing would be no better than rape? Kili didn't know…and he couldn't bring himself to care. He wanted this too much… _needed_ it too much. He didn't resist even one little bit when his older brother pressed him up against the wall of the alcove, kissing him even harder.

The pair kissed desperately for several minutes…as if they never would again…memorizing the feel and the scent and the sweet taste that had so long been denied. It wasn't long at all before their true desires became apparent to each other. Kili's breath became harsh and heavy against his brother's mouth as the older dwarf reached between his legs, feeling just how much he desired this.

"Please…" Fili begged, panting heavily as he squeezed at the girth and hardness of his partner through the cloth of his pants, "may…may I touch you."

"I am _yours_ , my prince," Kir breathed against his lips, his hips rocking lightly against the hand that held him. "Every last inch of me is yours…to do as you will."

Wasting no more words, Fili dropped to his knees, hastily undoing the other dwarf's belt and pushing aside the clothing that hid him. The blond dwarf nearly came on the spot at the sight of his large cock, swollen and flushed with desire. In little more than a second, his lips were closing around the tip of him.

Kili gasped in pleasure as his brother took him all the way in, doing things with his lips and tongue he had not imagined, even in his wildest dreams. He'd had no _idea_ Fili was so good at this. It took all of his restraint not to come in only those first few moments.

Fili hummed against him as he moved his mouth furiously up and down the length of him, loving the feel of the hot, tight skin beneath his tongue. Kir writhed helplessly against him as his fingers tangled forcefully in his blond tresses.

"Ah…hah…Fili…Fili, I…I'm going to…oh…oh, Mahal, _please_ …"

"Call my name," Fili groaned against him, curling his tongue around the heated flesh. "Call my name again."

"Oh…Fili… _Fili!_ " he called out, his body tensing as he spilled down his brother's throat. He tried to keep back the noise, but he wasn't sure how successful he was, judging by the waves of pleasure that gripped his body. When Fili finally released him, he lost his footing, sliding down the wall until he was sitting before his brother, Fili kneeling between his legs. For several minutes, they just gazed at each other, breathing heavily. Then Fili seized him in his arms once more, crashing their lips together. Kili couldn't help moaning at the taste of himself and his brother in his mouth.

"I want you," Fili panted, pressing kisses to every inch of his face he could touch. "I want to make love to you."

Kir held him back for a brief moment, looking into his eyes. He was smiling…but he also looked like he might cry.

"That would be…most unwise…Your Highness."

"Fili," he reminded him gently. "And if you tell me you don't want this…I will walk away right now." It would tear him apart, but he would do it if Kir asked him.

"I'm not saying…I don't want it. I'm only saying…that…that it would be…unwise…" he said, his voice fading into a groan as Fili drew him into another kiss. For several more minutes, they just crouched there, kissing hungrily, before Fili helped him to his feet and began to lead him out of the garden.

"If I'm going to bed someone as handsome as you, you deserve a proper bed."

Fili led the way up from the public area of the castle, keeping out of sight so they wouldn't have to explain themselves. It did take some time to get up to the living quarters, as they stopped several times just to share a few kisses. Kili knew he shouldn't be doing this…but he just couldn't help himself. His brother's love was the one thing he truly wanted from his life…and his life was about to be taken away from him anyway.

Fili's and Kili's sleeping chambers were joined by a shared drawing room, and by the time the two reached it, they were tearing at each other's clothing. Kili shoved his brother to the nearest couch, quickly baring his erection. Before he could go down on Fili, though, the blond dwarf slowed him with a hand to his shoulder.

"I…I said I was…going to get you to a proper bed."

"You…knelt before me," Kili said, cupping his brother's hard cock and rubbing it along his flushed cheek. "I'm simply…returning the favor," he said, kissing the tip. "After all, it's not…proper…for a crown prince to be kneeling before his lover."

Fili seemed like he might argue, but all coherent thought was wiped away when Kili's lips closed over him. Fili certainly couldn't have known it, but he was also very good at this. He drove his brother to the absolute edge…then held him there on the brink for several moments, writhing and moaning with helpless need.

"Kir…Kir…hngh…ah… _please_ …let me come," he begged.

Kili met his gaze at this, keeping their eyes locked together as he ran his tongue down his full length several times, imagining it inside of him with every stroke.

"As my…prince…commands," he hissed before taking his brother in to the hilt, groaning with desire when he felt his warmth spurt into his body. When he heard Fili cry out, he felt himself grow to full hardness once more.

For several moments, Fili just lay on the couch panting. While Kili rested his head against his right thigh, nuzzling the clothed skin affectionately.

"So which room is yours?" he asked as he got to his feet, leaning slightly in the direction of the correct door.

"No," Fili immediately started to protest, getting shakily to his feet "That…that is my chamber, but my brother's resting in there. He was feeling unwell. We…we can use his room," he said, taking his partner by the hand and leading the way to the other bedchamber.

It occurred to Kili he should probably feel hurt that his brother was willing to have sex in his room in a pinch, but all he could think about was the fact that Fili had remembered him, even in a moment of such intensity. Therefore, he felt only happiness when the two of them fell together onto his bed.

Having gotten off once already, their movements were not quite so harried and desperate as they had been, so they moved slower as they undressed each other, each enjoying the magnificent sight of the other's body. Kili ached furiously to have his brother inside of him, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going to enjoy this, no matter how guilty he felt. Everything was going fine until he removed Fili's golden mask…for that was also the moment Fili tried to remove the glass mask. Kili immediately lowered his curious hand away from his face.

"Please…don't. That must stay."

"I can't see your face?" Fili asked, a look that bordered on heartbreak twisting his perfect features.

"Fili…please understand…this mask…this mask is in place for your protection. _No one_ can know who I am," he explained, feeling his throat begin to tighten again. He wanted so badly for Fili to know him…but he knew that could never be. After tonight…he would walk out of his beloved brother's life forever…and Fili would go on…so long as he never found out what Kili had done to him.

"But I _do_ know who you are," Fili insisted, taking his face in his hands, and for a moment, Kili felt horror grip his chest.

"You…do?"

"I _must_. The closer we become…the nearer we draw to being one, the more certain I am that I have _always_ known you…always _loved_ you. For some reason, it all centers around this mask. Maybe…if we make love, this horrible spell will break and I will finally remember who you truly are."

" _No!_ " Kili hissed, taking his brother's face in his hands in kind. "Fili, you must never look for me after tonight. _Never!_ I…I love you, too…and I would never do _anything_ to harm you. I never meant for it to go this far, but I _need_ this too much. I _want_ you too much. Please…let us love each other this one night…then hold that love as an untainted memory. The knowledge of my true identity…would destroy you."

"Kir, how will I _live?_ " Fili demanded, pulling him into his arms. "If I cannot be with you…how will I survive?"

"The same as I…one breath after the other…knowing that we can do no harm to each other…that the other is safe and always dreaming of his love," he reassured him, pressing a tender kiss to his lips before whispering against them, "Please…do not try to remove the mask again."

"As you will…my love," Fili said softly, laying back on the bed and pulling Kir with him. He couldn't understand why his mouth was saying these things without his head's permission. He was torn in two. This was not Kili…never _would_ be Kili…but perhaps his heart knew something the rest of him did not? Whatever the case was, he decided not to fight it. He would give in to the longing of his body…of his heart and soul…and attempt to know this unknowable truth.

"Your Majesty," Kili briefly backtracked, drawing them out of the circle of familiarity Fili had drawn them into, "I know you are very careful of such matters…so I must warn you now, before another word is spoken. We've taken no steps to prevent pregnancy…and I have the second spirit. If you bed me…there _will_ be a child," he said, uncertain how he knew, but sure, just the same. Perhaps it was the magic of the mask, but he somehow knew that the stars had aligned for them in this one moment. If this happened now…he would bear Fili's child…and Fili would never know that.

"I care not," Fili said, drawing him down for another kiss. "I would be _honored_ if you were the one to bear my children. Perhaps it would keep you here with me?"

"It would not…but know that it would be my greatest happiness…to bear your child…and love it as my own…for I love nothing in this world as I love you, Fili. So let me _show_ you that."

Kili nearly gave himself away when he pulled oil from a side drawer, but was able to pass it off as a lucky guess. That done, it did not take Fili long to prepare them both. There was almost a sense of inevitability…of rightness…when Kili slid down on his brother's cock.

They took several moments, just savoring the feeling, reveling in the press of their two bodies together. Fili lay still beneath him whilst Kili sat balanced upon his hips, finally full…finally complete. For a time, he almost didn't want to move, desiring to be joined to his brother like this forever…except the imperative of his body didn't allow such thoughts for very long. As much as they were enjoying this, they both _needed_ completion in each other.

Kili rocked his hips slowly, taking his sweet time drawing every exquisite moan and gasp from Fili's lips, and his brother held him in just as much rapture, working deliberately at his cock. Kili's head fell back, his mouth going slack as he cried out his brother's name in pleasure, spilling into his hand. He could barely get up the strength to bring Fili to his full, but he saw the moment he pulled him over the edge with him, crying out in bliss as he spilled deep inside of him.

Kili felt it the moment he was impregnated, not knowing how he knew, but certain all the same. He was pregnant with his own brother's child. He knew this was a terrible, dark, and dangerous secret, but at the same time, all he could feel was joy. He wept in quiet happiness as Fili worked to bring him to hardness again.

Fili took him no less than five times that night. He even took Fili once. None of it was as shattering and fulfilling as that very first time, though. They were both nearly asleep in each other's arms by the time they'd finally drained each other. Much as he wanted to sleep by his brother's side like this, Kili knew he couldn't stay. He would have to be gone before questions were asked. That didn't mean, though, that he couldn't cherish these last few moments…the last he would ever truly spend with his brother. Fili smiled sadly at him as he pressed kiss after kiss to his now swollen lips.

"How can you ask me…not to look for you after tonight?" he asked him, taking one of his hands in his and twining their fingers together.

"You must not. For your own safety, you must not," he warned his brother, returning his sad smile with a heartbroken one of his own. "Promise me."

"How can I?" Fili continued to press, moving a hand down to rest against Kili's belly. "Will I never even be allowed to know my own child?"

"Much as we might wish otherwise…no," Kili said, feeling tears at his eyes once again. "I can only give you my vow that the child will be loved. You must promise me…that you _will not_ look for us."

"Kir-"

" _Swear it,_ " he growled, gripping his brother's hand tighter. "On your brother's life, swear it."

Now he could see tears in Fili's eyes. "Heh…the one oath I could never break. Very well…you have my word. I swear on Kili's life…that I will not search for you…or our child…no matter how much I might love you both."

"Thank you, my love," he whispered, drawing Fili's hand up to his lips to kiss it. He kissed each finger, and with every kiss, he whispered, "I love you. I love you. I love you."

Fili returned each declaration with one of equal sincerity, even though he was too confused to understand why.

"I love you, Ki. I love you. I love you." He had to say it now…before he lost his chance.

The two brother's wept as they held each other, neither knowing that the one thing they wanted above all else was already right before their eyes. They cried tears of both joy and sorrow, sharing kisses and holding tightly to every moment. They held fast to each other…and Fili continued to do so even after he'd fallen asleep. It was near an hour after that, with kisses watered with tears, that Kili finally forced himself to release his brother. He took a long time to compose himself as he dressed, casting longing, lingering looks toward his brother before finally leaving him to his uneasy rest. The evening had not yet finished rending his heart in pieces, though.

Kili emerged into their shared drawing room to find Dain and Nori waiting for him.

"You and His Highness had a pleasant evening, I trust?" the old lord asked, leering at him in a way that made Kili want to vomit.

"You should not be here," Kili said, ready to defend his brother from whatever trouble Dain meant to bring his way. "This is a sanctuary."

"You have little more right yourself, young interloper, but that His Majesty fancied your strong thighs for but a moment."

"Fili isn't like that!" he snarled at the old dwarf. "You insult him to rate him so."

"Ah, on first name terms now, are we? What makes _you_ so special? You are not a noble of this kingdom; _no one_ has ever seen you before. What makes you think you have the right to address the crown prince so informally? What makes you think you will ever know his bed again?" Dain taunted him.

Kili sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Nothing. I'm _not_ special. I'm unworthy…and I'm leaving right now. You've nothing to fear from me," he said, making to head out of the room, but Dain's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Of course not. I can see you are a clever one…to pull away from this situation before it becomes too…sticky. Perhaps you are even cleverer still. Consider an offer of mine."

"What?" Kili hissed, feeling a chill of foreboding creep down his spine.

"I will make you a fabulously wealthy dwarf…if you would only do one thing for me."

"And what would that be?" Kili asked, resisting the urge to slug the treacherous lord.

"You need only drink down this potion, to ensure there aren't any…unpleasant situations in the future," he said, holding a bottle out to him. Kili recognized the bottle at once. It was an infusion of nettle and thorn apple essences sold at market. Its purpose …was to cleanse the body of unwanted pregnancy. Kili had to struggle not to tremble, both fear and rage gripping his heart in equal measure. Dain meant to murder his child… _Fili's_ child.

_I will not allow it!_

"You've done this before," Kili snarled, his voice low.

"Yes. Every time the prince has been with someone. No one has yet refused."

"Well…with all due respect, my Lord, there is always a first. _I_ refuse."

Dain shook his head, his eyes narrowing. "Your refusal…would be _most_ unwise."

"What will you do? _Kill_ me?"

"No. Nothing so drastic…but you will not be leaving this room until we make absolutely _certain_ you are not carrying the crown prince's child. That destiny is for one far greater than you."

At that moment, Kili was attacked from the side. Nori tackled him to the ground. They struggled, but Nori was much stronger than he was, not to mention much larger. Kili was pinned within minutes. Leering triumphantly, Dain knelt over him, uncorking the deadly concoction.

" _NO!_ " Kili cried out, struggling even harder. Dain only chuckled.

"Let's see who's under that mask first. Let us see who thinks himself great enough to bear a child of royal blood."

Kili struggled, but he knew it was in vain. The moment they saw his face, his life would be over. Dain may as well kill him right now.

The moment the mask was torn away and flung aside, the enchantment was broken. Kili heard his only defense shatter against the floor in the ensuing silence. He lay on the floor, helpless and feeling practically naked, while Dain and Nori stared down at him in utter shock.

"Prince…Prince Kili?" Dain murmured, a devious smile slowly starting to twist his features.

"No. No, no, _no!_ " Kili sobbed, using the moment of shock to shove Nori away and make his escape. Neither made to follow him.

Kili fled back into Fili's room, slamming the door behind him and collapsing against it, as if every bone in his body had turned to jelly. For what felt like a long time to him, he lay against the door, sobbing in quiet heartbreak. Surely Fili would have heard that…and would have come to investigate. Would Dain reveal his secret? No…surely not. With this secret, Dain would have a weapon in his hands. He would be able to destroy the royal family from the inside. Worse than that, though…was the fact that he had betrayed Fili's trust. He was the only person his brother could trust…and he had done something to Fili that could never be forgiven. He was wicked and he deserved death. He would have been perfectly willing to take his own life after this night was over…but now he had the child. Barely begun though it was, the tiny life now growing inside of him was _Fili's_ child…and he could _never_ do anything to harm Fili's child. It was the baby inside of him that bound him to life, and bound him to the torment of his guilt.

XxX

The cry was the first thing Fili heard, waking him from an uneasy dream, uncertain whether he'd dreamed the panicked voice or not. Then he heard the sound of something shattering and was instantly up on his feet, knowing that something was terribly wrong.

"Kir!" he called upon bursting into the drawing room…only to be met with Dain and Nori kneeling over something.

"What…what are you doing here?" Fili asked them, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Well, we…heard the commotion and thought we'd come to check on you, Highness," Dain explained after barely a hairsbreadth of hesitation. Fili still didn't trust him, though.

"All right…well…did you see a young dwarf go by on your way in?"

"Why…no, Your Highness. I'm sorry."

"It…it doesn't matter. What's that on the floor there?"

"We're not sure, my Prince. It seems to have been a mask at one point, but it's broken into a hundred pieces."

"A _mask?_ " he half-shouted, racing toward them and crashing to his knees. Just as he'd feared, it was the broken pieces of Kir's glass mask.

"Are you going to go after him, Highness? I don't imagine he could have got far."

For a moment, Fili looked hopeful, but then he sighed, slowly gathering up the pieces of the black mask. "No. I swore to him…I would never try to find him again."

"Why shouldn't you? I haven't seen you so interested in someone for a long time. Why should a prince not have what he wants?"

Fili shook his head. "No. I swore an oath. Leave, Dain. You shouldn't even be here…and if I find even one of these pieces missing, it'll be your heads."

"Of course, my Prince," Dain said, bowing his way out with Nori at his heels.

Fili carefully transported the broken pieces of glass to one of the small tables, nestling them in a handkerchief to keep them together. For what felt like several hours to him, he pondered the broken mask, remembering his partner's warm brown eyes with both joy and pain.

Removed from the mystique of his lover's face and smashed into pieces, the mask seemed somehow…less. It was no longer a barrier…more like the pieces of a puzzle, a map that would lead him to a place where all of this madness made sense.

Kir was not his name. He knew that when he wasn't looking at the masked face. He knew he had seen him before…heard his voice before…touched his lips to his…gazed into his eyes…but he just couldn't remember where or when. The love he felt for this familiar stranger was just as strong as the love he felt for Kili…but that couldn't be, could it? Could he really love two different people with such a desperate fire? Was this some sort of relief from Mahal for having the strength to let Kili go? To give him a lover who was exactly like Kili in every way?

_Exactly._

_Like._

_Kili?_

The words sounded in his ears like a drum, fighting through the haze of enchantment, booming in the raging silence.

_Exactly._

_Like._

_Kili!_

Fili clutched briefly at his head, struggling to sort through the maelstrom of thoughts and feelings. It couldn't _possibly_ be Kili…could it? He'd said he would never be able to find him again. Kili would never ask such a thing of him. How could he expect him to live without him? And…if it _was_ Kili…why would he come to him masked like this instead of revealing himself openly? Unless Kili thought…he didn't care for him…the way he had always thought Kili didn't care for _him_. After all, what had he done these many years but conceal his true feelings? Maybe…maybe Kili had been doing the same? Maybe it wasn't too late for them. If he stepped in now and asked Thorin for Kili's hand…surely his suit would take precedence over Dwalin's…

…except that Kili had made him swear never to seek him out. What if he was reading this all wrong? Only…what other reason could Kili have for getting such a promise from him…but that he feared him knowing what they had done would destroy them? If the reason for the oath didn't actually exist…would it be breaking his word to go to Kili with what he knew? To tell him of his love and to ask him for his hand before it was too late…and again, what if he was completely wrong? What if he went to Kili and told him of his feelings…only to discover that it had never been Kili beneath the mask at all. He would destroy their brotherhood for nothing. There was only one way to resolve this…and that way was in the broken pieces of the glass mask.

The black mask had been made of glass and had fit Kili's face perfectly, from what he could tell. For a fit such as that, the mask would have had to be created exactly for the contours of his face. It would fit only his face…no one else's. If he went to Kili with the mask, perhaps the whole mystery could be solved…

…except for one rather glaring problem of the mask being in a thousand pieces. Was there any hope of piecing it back together before Kili was married? There _had_ to be. It was the only hope he had of being able to confront Kili with what he _hoped_ was the truth. He would have to go to Oin for some glue in the morning…which was only a few short hours away if his internal clock was still on. Being careful of the glass, he carried the mask to his own room to keep it safe from prying eyes.

Kili was there, curled up and deep asleep, tucked into his bed exactly as he'd left him. For several moments, he just watched his baby brother sleep, occasionally reaching forward to stroke his mussed, dark locks. Mahal, but he was so beautiful. Was it really possible he'd received his heart's desire without even knowing it?

Birds were already beginning to chirp outside by the time Fili crawled into bed with his brother, still naked as the day he was born. Being gentle, he wrapped an arm around Kili, pulling him close so that his back rested flush against his chest.

 _Is it possible? Did…did I lie with_ _ **you,**_ _my sweet Kili? Do you love me as I love you? Have we somehow made love without my knowing it? Are…are you even now carrying my child?_ he pondered, arm curling a little tighter around Kili's middle at the thought.

"I love you, Kili," he whispered in his ear, pressing a chaste kiss to the back of his neck…never knowing that Kili was wide awake.


	2. Part 2

_The weeks leading up to the young prince's wedding both dragged and flew by. The young prince struggled to come to terms with his impending nuptials, terrified that someone would either discover he was pregnant by another dwarf before his wedding…or that the treacherous lord of the Iron Hills would use his secret against him before he could slip quietly out of his brother's life._

_The crown prince, meanwhile, worked furiously to reassemble the glass mask. He worked whenever he could, spending little time with his brother, leaving the young prince feeling even more abandoned and miserable than he already had been. Even though he could never tell his brother they were going to have a child together, could they not at least spend time together before they were separated forever?_

_Was…was it possible his brother had found out the truth? That he hated him…was too hurt and ashamed to even look at him? No. It couldn't be. There was no way he could have found out. But…even so…why wouldn't his brother talk to him? What had he done that had driven him to shut himself up in his room night and day?_

_The crown prince worked right up until the night before the wedding, scrambling to fit the last pieces of the mask back together, while his brother, more heartbroken than ever, sought out the company of the dwarf he was to wed._

XxX

"They say it's bad luck…for us to be seeing each other tonight," Dwalin said, chuckling as he and Kili walked through the palace gardens.

"Yes…but when were _you_ one to listen to what other people say?" Kili fired back, forcing a laugh of his own as he walked along beside his future husband. "Besides…we've hardly seen each other since the engagement was announced."

Dwalin heard the false levity in his fiancé's voice, but didn't at first comment on it. When the pair wound up sitting together in an alcove, he couldn't help noticing that the young prince seemed nervous.

"Kili…lad…is this really what ye want?" he asked him, being uncommonly gentle as he placed a hand beneath Kili's chin, guiding him to look up at him. "I made a request of Thorin in a moment of weakness, but I never asked ye what _ye_ want. _Do_ ye want to marry me?"

Kili's smile turned bitter as he looked into the older dwarf's eyes. "It's a little late for that, isn't it?"

"No…not if ye don't _want_ it. I don't want ye to be unhappy, lad. Tell me what it is ye want."

Feeling a sudden bout of reckless anger thrum through his veins, Kili jerked off the bench, moving to his knees in front of Dwalin. "I want _you,_ " he growled, his voice daring the warrior to say it was a lie. His eyes had become like two smoldering coals in the waning light.

"Lad…this isn't-"

"I want you to take me. Now. _Right now!_ Make me yours. I can't stand all this dancing around. I can't bear it anymore!" he ground out, rubbing his face wantonly against Dwalin's crotch. He immediately felt the older dwarf react to him. "Let's just get this over with."

"Kili-"

"Do you want children from me or not? We may as well get started now," he snarled, reaching for his fiancé's belt, but Dwalin's firm grip on his errant hands stopped him.

"Kili…look at me," he ordered, and like a chastised dwarfling, the prince slowly looked up at him, eyes burning with pain and anger.

"What else am I _good_ for?" Kili whispered, suddenly looking like he might cry.

"Ye're in love with someone else…aren't ye, lad?"

"It doesn't matter. He doesn't want me. He _can't_ want me, Dwalin. We can't be together…even if you _do_ give up your claim on me. There's nothing anyone can do to make this right."

"Kili, lad…how could someone _not_ want ye?"

"It…it's complicated. Dwalin… _please_ …will you make love to me? I…I need…to know that _someone_ wants me. There's just…so much…I don't know _what_ to believe anymore. Please…"

"Only if ye're sure this is what ye want," Dwalin said, releasing his hands. Kili nodded, resting his head against Dwalin's thigh.

"I want this. I just…want to forget," he said, unbuckling the belt and drawing Dwalin's already hard cock out into the open.

He began the way Fili had begun with him, sucking on his cock, drawing small gasps and groans of pleasure from the older dwarf. As Kili licked, sucked, kissed, and bit, his lover rolled his hips up against him, offering up even more of himself to Kili's hot, demanding mouth. Kili began to lose himself in the scent coming off of his fiancé, his nose buried in the thicket of hair that surrounded his sex.

Kili hummed against Dwalin, groaning with him as the rolling of his hips became outright thrusts. Before Kili could get him off, though, Dwalin drew his head up, grinning faintly at the drops of pre-cum painting his lips.

"This shouldn't be just about me. I want ye to know I can take care of ye, too," he said, helping Kili to his feet and leading him over to the wall, where he pressed him up against the cool stone surface, kissing the back of his neck as he reached around to undo his belt, sliding his trousers down around his knees.

For several minutes, Dwalin held him there, their bodies pressed firmly against each other as the older dwarf stroked him to hardness. Kili couldn't help the way his own hips began to roll back against the hardness that was pressed against his backside. Before long, Dwalin had him stripped down to just his undershirt, all other clothing tossed away.

The next thing Kili became aware of was the press of something at his entrance…a single oil-slicked finger that caused him to mewl and buck as it curled inside of him, stroking his most intimate anatomy. He didn't think to ask where the oil had come from. He didn't imagine that his future husband's reputation in the bedroom was at all undeserved, after all. Kili was just about ready to come when Dwalin turned him in his arms.

"I want to see yer face," Dwalin said softly as he kissed the juncture of Kili's neck and jaw. "I want to know ye're enjoying this as much as I am."

Kili nodded, whimpering in pleasure as the larger dwarf pressed him back against the wall, helping him hike his legs up around his waist. Then he was sliding into his body, his girth stretching Kili even more.

Kili moaned, his head twisting helplessly from side to side as Dwalin thrust into him over and over again. He could certainly see why all the dwarves threw themselves at Dwalin. He was _very_ good… _very_ experienced. Why Thorin had ended their relationship completely escaped Kili, for he surely must have enjoyed the sex.

"Ah…D-Dwalin…husband…harder…p-please…" he begged. He was so close to coming completely undone.

"Just…a little more," the warrior grunted, thrusting a little harder. Then he pressed a harsh kiss to Kili's lips before murmuring against them, "Call my name. I want…my name on yer lips…when ye come."

Kili could barely nod as he was pounded against the wall. His thighs tightened around his lover and his head fell back as he was pushed over the edge into bliss.

" _Dwalin!_ "

There, just at the height of his release, he happened to open his eyes…happened to look over Dwalin's shoulder…and see Fili standing there looking at them, his face frozen in shock.

XxX

Fili had finally finished piecing together the mask. It had clearly been broken, but it was at least in one piece again. Oin had informed him Kili had gone out to the gardens with Dwalin not long ago, so he hurried after them. Perhaps this would be easier to resolve with Dwalin already there? When he finally stumbled upon them, though, the situation seemed to be resolving itself quite easily without his help.

He didn't really see who Kili was with. He just saw his baby brother pinned against the wall of their alcove, his face twisted in exquisite pleasure as his partner thrust into him.

His body reacted physically to Kili, of course, but mostly he just felt pain…pain that his brother was with another dwarf…and clearly enjoying himself, by the look of it. For several minutes, all he could manage to do was stand there and stare, limbs frozen in pain and shock.

_I guess…I was wrong. It wasn't him beneath the mask. He never wanted me. It was just a fool's hope. Well…at least I found out before I destroyed something between us._

Fili was just about to leave when Kili climaxed…when his eyes opened and he saw him standing there. For a moment, his eyes were hazy with the force of the orgasm, but then he seemed to realize what he was seeing and his gaze shifted into something horrified.

"Fili?" He called softly.

Fili shook his head, feeling a lump forming in his throat and tears burn behind his eyes. Of _course_ Kili wouldn't want him to see this. Taking several steps back, Fili dropped the mask on the grass before bolting, barely registering Kili calling his name a second time. He knew he was about to break down, and he could not let Kili see him weep.

" _Fili!_ " Kili screamed as Dwalin finished in him…but Fili was already gone. Operating from an instinct he barely understood, Kili tore himself away from Dwalin, racing toward the object his brother had dropped. When he saw what it was lying there on the grass, he felt his world shatter around him.

Kili dropped hopelessly to his knees, reaching forward to cradle the reconstructed mask in trembling hands. The tears weren't just stinging at his eyes this time…they were stabbing, nearly blinding him. This could only mean one thing. Fili knew the truth. Somehow, he had found out…and that last look of hurt…anger… _betrayal_ …Fili would never look on him with love in his eyes again. He truly had lost him forever.

"But you swore," Kili sobbed brokenly. "You _swore_ never to look for me."

 _Why would you break your promise? Was my life so little to you? Why did this have to happen_ _**now?** _

He had no answer. He knew only that he hurt…he hurt so badly, he wanted nothing more than to claw his own heart out, except that he couldn't do more than weep helplessly, great, wracking sobs shaking his frame. He hardly even noticed when Dwalin sat down beside him, draping his coat around his shoulders and pulling him into his arms, quietly holding him and letting him cry. Dwalin wasn't normally so tender, but some part of him understood that he'd just witnessed a very serious break. He held Kili until he was empty of tears, until the last light had left the sky. They would be married in the morning.

"Fili's the one…isn't he," the older dwarf pressed gently.

"Yes…the only one," he said softly, his expression completely blank.

"Why did ye never say? Why didn't ye talk to him?"

"Because _he_ doesn't love _me._ "

"How do ye know that?"

"You didn't see the look in his eyes just now. I hurt him…and he'll never forgive me for what I've done."

"It was ye," Dwalin said slowly, realization washing over him when he finally recognized what Kili was holding in his hands. "That night… _ye_ were the boy in the glass mask…and ye…ye were _with_ him."

"Yes," Kili whispered. "I didn't mean for it to go so far…I only wanted one last kiss…but then…I was in his arms…and I just couldn't stop. He didn't know. I betrayed his trust. I may as well have taken him by force," he hissed, a fresh wave of anguish squeezing his heart.

"And did anything…come of that night?"

Kili nodded, a bitter smile taking up residence on his face once more. "Yes. I…I am with child. I had thought…after tonight…I could convince everyone the child was yours."

"While I'd never have objected to raising Fili's son as my own…I don't believe we can marry now."

"Why not?" Kili asked, pulling slightly away from him.

"Ye can't make so rash a decision as that…to say he can never forgive ye…if ye haven't even talked to him. Go to him…explain everything…and if he can forgive, if he still wants ye, Mahal willing, the wedding bells will be ringing for the two of ye in the morning," he said, leaning over to kiss Kili on the forehead.

"And…if _I'm_ right? If he can't stand the sight of me? What then?"

"Then he's blind and he doesn't deserve ye. If that should happen, we'll still marry. I'll take ye away from all this and the bairn'll be raised as our son. I don't think that'll happen, though. I believe yer happiness is just around the corner. Ye only need to have the nerve to grab it,"

"Is…is that why you and Thorin ended things?" Kili asked, experiencing a sudden moment of clarity.

"Well…something like that. Don't be worrying about us. Go and find yer brother."

Nodding slowly, Kili got to his feet, leaving the mask on the grass. Then he went to dress himself before following in the direction Fili had gone. He was making good time through the castle when he was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled down a dimly lit corridor. Briefly, he struggled, but then he felt the tip of a dagger placed against his belly, causing him to go perfectly still.

"How's the child?" Dain's voice hissed in his ear.

"You're mistaken, my Lord. There _is_ no child," he insisted, even though he knew Dain would hear the lie of it in his voice.

"Don't play games with me, boy. I'm not a patient dwarf. Surely you knew this was coming."

"What do you want?" Kili demanded calmly, fighting to keep his fear and anger in check.

"I want you to leave and never come back."

"Why? Does it not serve your purpose better to have me around to blackmail…to use as bait?"

"True as that may be, you are _nothing_ to me, Kili. Only your brother matters. He is the ultimate prize…and there is no one in the land who can challenge a child of yours…a direct descendent of the royal line in every way. Insignificant as you are, you are the only thing that stands in my way," he said, trailing the tip of the dagger along the taut muscle of his still flat stomach.

"Then why not just _kill_ me?" Kili challenged. "If I'm so insignificant and I'm in your way…what purpose do I serve alive?"

"Your death will be a powerful symbol, certainly. They will be told you are dead…and they will mourn you…more specifically, your brother. Your death will break him. He will be so much easier to mold to the proper choice of consort. All of this would work out very well if you were dead…but can you imagine how much more power I would wield if I were to reveal you were still alive? The royal family would be at my mercy, for you and I both know the prince would give me anything to save your life."

"And what's to stop me from coming forward?" Kili asked at last. "If you do not kill me, what's to keep me from asserting my claim…announcing to the world that I bear the future king's royal seed…that I and no other will bear his firstborn son?"

"Simple enough. The mask. You lay with your brother in secret. For whatever reason, you didn't want him to know the truth. He has no idea you're with his child…and you'll do anything to keep him from finding out. So you now have two choices. Either you go into exile, your secret remains safe, and you and your baby live…or you remain, your shame is revealed, you, the prince, and your husband to be are all ruined by your infidelity, and you and the child both die. The decision is yours."

Kili honestly could have laughed at the hideous irony of the situation. Dain's plans were all based on a single false assumption…that Fili did not already know the truth. He had felt maybe a little hopeful at Dwalin's words, but he didn't really believe him. Fili no longer loved him. That most precious of bonds had evaporated like the morning dew from a rose petal. It would not break Fili to learn of his death. In fact, it might even bring him some measure of peace…to know that Kili had paid for the sins he'd committed against him. Dain's schemes would fall apart…and maybe they would both have a chance to heal the wounds they'd inflicted on each other. All he had to do was disappear.

"I will accept your offer, most gracious lord of the Iron Hills. I will take my child and leave, never to return. We will live in peace…and my baby will never lay any claim to what is Fili's," he vowed. He would do what he had to now to keep this child safe.

"A wise decision, young prince. You will take nothing with you. Speak to no one; go down to the stables, saddle your pony, and ride away. Send the animal back riderless once you've got far enough away. The rest will be handled."

Kili nodded, beginning to move the moment Dain lifted the blade away from his body. Not looking back even once, he moved down to the stables and before long, he was riding out into the night. For all he knew, he would never see his home again.

 _I'm sorry, Thorin…Dwalin…Mother…_ _**Fili** _ _. There can be no forgiveness for what I've done…but I pray you'll remember me kindly someday._

XxX

"Have they found him?" Fili demanded as he burst into Thorin's study. Kili's pony had returned to the castle riderless two days ago and Fili had spent every waking moment with the search parties looking for him, desperately calling his name until he'd worn his throat raw. He'd returned to the castle only by force, but when Thorin had summoned him, he'd been hopeful that there might be some news. The solemn faces that greeted his arrival didn't inspire much hope, though.

"No," Thorin said heavily. "A letter was discovered in Kili's chamber."

"What…what sort of letter?" he asked, feeling his breath catch in his throat as he looked around at all the others: Thorin, his mother, Dwalin, Oin, even Dain…and Dain was the one to step forward with a roll of parchment in his hands.

"My prince…I am truly sorry. I cannot imagine how difficult this will be for you to bear…but it seems that your brother…meant to take his own life."

For a moment, Fili stood frozen, feeling as if he'd swallowed a chunk of ice…but then his eyes fixed themselves on Dain and a great boiling rage rose up inside him.

" _You lie!_ " Fili screamed as he threw himself at Dain. Dwalin barely managed to restrain him.

"I understand it's difficult to accept…but it's the truth. Examine the letter yourself."

" _He's not dead!_ " he cried out, fighting against Dwalin like a wounded bear. " _HE'S NOT!_ "

"Fili…please," Dis whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Don't make this harder than it already is."

"Mother…Mother, no! You can't believe…Kili wouldn't do this. He _wouldn't!_ Mahal…Mahal, no…mercy," he sobbed, his voice fading to a harsh whisper as he went boneless in Dwalin's hold.

"You were…closet to Kili. We wanted you to know before we made the announcement," Thorin said, head bowing in grief as he, Dis, and Oin left the study. Dain made to follow, but stopped beside Dwalin and Fili, setting the parchment in Fili's hands.

"My condolences, Highness. Kili was a bright and precious soul. He will be missed."

"No…no, no, no, no, no," Fili cried over and over again as he and Dwalin sank to their knees.

"Yer Highness…read the letter," Dwalin urged. "Something doesn't smell right about all this."

Fili's hands were shaking so badly, he nearly tore the parchment when he opened it. The ink was smeared in several places, seemingly run with tears…messy…just like Kili. He never could properly settle down to letter practice.

_I do not wish to cause anyone grief. It pains me to think of the sorrow this letter will bring, but there is no way but this. I have brought shame to our king. I lay with another dwarf, even after I was promised to Lord Dwalin. We were in love…and I made a foolish decision. I will not ruin my love by revealing his name; I only wish him to know that I would have borne his child…but I could not bear to bring such shame upon my family and the man who would've been my husband. So I here regain my honor by taking my own life._

_I would ask that you not search for me. By the time this letter is found, I will already be gone. The forest will reclaim what remains of me and my sin will be cleansed. I know I could beg you not to grieve, but that would be in vain. I know what I'm going to do will grieve you all very much. It tears at my heart to think of your sadness, but there is no other way to mend what I have done._

_Mother, Uncle…Fili…I only want you to know that I love you. I never meant to hurt you. I pray that some part of me will always stay with you._

_Love always,_

_Kili_

"Pregnant?" Fili whispered in shock.

"Despite what Dain seems to think, I knew that already. He told me. Did he come to you…the night you came upon us?"

"No," Fili said, unable to stop the hot tears that flowed down his cheeks. "I…I ran away. I thought…I was so sure…"

"That ye were the father of his child?" Dwalin finished for him, to which Fili had another chance to look stunned. "Ye are, lad. He told me everything. Kili was the boy in the glass mask that night. Ye were together."

"Mahal," the prince murmured. "I…when I saw you together, I just stopped thinking. I'd been so certain it was Kili I was with that night and…then I saw the two of you and I just…I told myself I was a fool. How could he ever want me? I got upset and scared and angry and hurt…and I never…"

"Ye never actually talked to him," Dwalin finished in a chastising tone. Fili nodded, the implications only just starting to wash over his heart. He had been only inches away from having the kind of happiness he'd dreamed of with Kili for so many years…and he'd let it go because of a misunderstanding. Mahal, how he must have hurt Kili when he ran away.

"He thought ye hated him," Dwalin's voice suddenly broke in on his thoughts.

"What? How…how could I-"

"When ye found us together, he said ye looked betrayed…and when he found the mask, he took it to mean that ye'd somehow found out the truth…and that ye hated him for it. He was afraid he'd destroyed what was between ye."

"Mahal have mercy," Fili murmured, burying his face in his hands. He had hurt Kili. He'd abandoned him when he'd needed him the most. How could he have turned his back on him like that?

"He was going to come talk to ye…but it seems he never made it. My thinking is that Dain got to him somehow."

"Do…do you think he's still alive?" Fili asked.

"I don't know. The only thing that doesn't wash with me is this tale of suicide. If _I_ already knew about this "infidelity", what sense would there be in him killing himself…especially since I was going to release him? If Kili _is_ dead…it was not by his own hand."

"What…what do you mean?" Fili continued to press, feeling his heart start to break all over again.

"I cannot see Dain allowing Kili to live. His child would have been a threat to his bid for power. I fear Dain may have murdered him."

Fili felt himself break at this, but unlike earlier, it happened quietly. Not all of him believed it, though. If he _truly_ believed his brother was dead, he would surely die. Besides, if Kili really were dead, he would _know,_ wouldn't he? If the best part of himself was forever lost to him…

Whatever had happened to Kili, though, whether he really was dead…or had simply run away…whatever had happened had happened because of him. He had gotten Kili pregnant in the first place…and if he only hadn't run away…he would have been able to tell Kili how much he loved him…would have been able to soothe the heartbreak he must have suffered all these years…would have been able to hold onto him…and he wouldn't have had to face Dain alone.

_If I hadn't left him…if I only hadn't…Kili…oh, Kili…this is all my fault. What have I done?_

"No," Fili finally said, wiping the tears from his face. "I believe…that wherever he is…Kili is alive."

"Well…ye just go on hoping, lad. Whatever ye have to do. Just don't let what Kili suffered be in vain," Dwalin said, drawing something from his cloak. Fili gasped when he saw it was the glass mask. Taking it in his hands, he cradled it close to his heart.

_Kili…I love you. I miss you. If you can hear me…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I can only pray you'll come back to me someday…my love._

XxX

_It wasn't long after the young prince's supposed death that war finally broke out between the dwarves and the elves. Much as the crown prince disliked it, the provinces of the Iron Hills gained even more prominence in the royal court, as they had always served as the liaisons between the two kingdoms and knew more about their enemy than anyone. Unfortunately, there was no way he could prove the old Iron Hills lord had had anything to do with what had happened to his brother, so he was left to fume in silence as his enemy gained power._

_Even the king began to push for a marriage between his nephew and the lord's youngest son, which the crown prince staunchly refused to agree to. He would not see the old lord benefit from what had happened to his brother._

_War and politics did not spread everywhere, though. There were still a few remote villages in the dwarf kingdom that knew relative peace. It was in one such village that a pregnant young dwarf had made his home near the beginning of the war. He had come to them half-starved and near death, and they had shown him kindness and taken him in. Wishing to leave his past behind him, the young dwarf gave his saviors a name that was not his and a desire to leave the past in the past. They had accepted this. They could see that he was kind and caring…but also that he had been hurt. Why shouldn't he have a chance to start over?_

_He couldn't have known it on the night he fled from his old life, but the young dwarf was pregnant with twins. Carrying them taxed him greatly in his grief for their father, but he kept good care of himself during the pregnancy, for he would see his precious children born…even if it cost him his life._

XxX

It was so late as to almost be early by the time the cries of a newborn filled the little cottage. Three dwarves and a hobbit were scrambling like mad around the dwarf who was laboring to give birth. The process had been difficult, but the young dwarf had fought like a warg, determined to have the two precious children he'd dreamt of these many long months.

Bombur, the youngest of the three dwarves, was the one bent over their young friend. When the first baby was finally free of its mother, Bombur turned to his older brother, Bofur.

"Here. Take her. Her sibling won't wait."

"Her?" Bofur asked, eyebrows raised as he took the baby girl. She would be the first girl born into the village in many years. Bombur couldn't take the time to answer, as he was already back at his task.

"How…how is she?" Kili asked in a drained voice, trying to follow Bofur's movements as he took the little girl to be washed. Kili's strength was almost gone, but he still had enough to worry for his baby girl.

"She's doing fine," Bofur reported, struggling with the wriggling, sobbing baby. "Just anxious to see her mama, no doubt."

"Bilbo," Bombur called out as the cries of the second newborn joined the first, though not quite as insistent. The hobbit scurried forward to take the baby.

"And…this one?" Kili pressed, his voice breaking.

"A boy," Bombur said, smiling at him, and Kili finally let his head collapse back on the pillows. For a moment, his stillness was worrisome, but he was only still so long as it took Bombur to see to his bleeding…and for the oldest of the three brothers, Bifur, to bring the two securely-wrapped bundles to him.

Kili's eyes opened the moment he felt his children near.

"My babies…my babies," he said softly, his face wet with tears as they were finally placed in his arms. His children…Fili's children… _their_ children.

_They're so beautiful, Fili. I wish you could see them. I wish they could know you._

"So Kir, do the wee nippers have names yet?" Bofur asked, grinning at the intimate little scene.

"Yes…yes…of course," he began, pressing his nose against his daughter's affectionately. "She is Shiri…and he is Nuri," he continued, turning a little to kiss his son's plump cheek.

"Nuri and Shiri," Bilbo repeated, also smiling. "They both sound lovely. I'll be perfectly happy to teach them when they're old enough." There were not many hobbits left in the world, and this particular one had made his home in the village after befriending Bofur and his brothers. As he had seen much of the world, he often acted as a de facto teacher to the young dwarves of the village.

"Are you all right, lad?" Bofur asked when he noticed their young friend's tears. They weren't just tears of joy; there was something of longing and old grief in them, as well.

Kili nodded, holding the babies a little tighter. "Yes. I was just…remembering their father…and how much he would love them."

"You could…still look for him, you know?" Bilbo suggested. They didn't know much about the father of Kir's children. Only that the boy had loved this dwarf with all his soul…and then something had happened…and as they'd expected, more of his pain became visible in the young dwarf's face at the suggestion.

"No…no," he said quietly, heartbroken. "It's better this way."

"For who?" Bombur asked.

"For Nuri and Shiri…and for him."

"Not you?" Bofur pressed.

Kili shook his head. Fili would love his children, certainly…but only if _he_ weren't the one who had borne them. "I don't matter anymore. Only Nuri and Shiri matter."

"What's this nonsense? Saying you don't matter," Bilbo tutted. "You're a perfectly wonderful young dwarf: kind and considerate, hardworking, a loving mother. Several of the villagers admire you."

"Aye," Bofur picked up. "Why there's this one lad down at the pub who's always asking after you. I see the way Zevi looks at you. You really ought to-"

"No," Kili interrupted quietly, but firmly. "You all know how I feel about that. I gave my love only once. I will not give it again."

_My love is poison._

"Well…when you change your mind and get lonely…"

"Leave it, Bofur. The boy's tired. Do you need anything else?" Bilbo asked him. Kili shook his head.

"I think we're fine. You all can go home and rest."

"Sure you'll all be all right by yourselves?" Bofur asked.

"We'll be fine. We've got each other," Kili said, smiling warmly at the two babies.

"All right. I'll be by again in the morning to see how you're doing. I'll bring some stew, too," Bombur said as Bifur started to hustle them all out the door.

"Thank you. Thank you all. Good night," Kili called to them. Then the sounds of the group walking away faded out and the cottage was quiet again, leaving Kili to focus completely on his two new children.

They were really both very beautiful. It seemed they both had his dark hair, but it was hard to tell who they looked most like at this point. Their features were still so tiny…but perfect all the same. Nuri and Shiri were proof of how much he loved Fili and he would always cherish them more fiercely than his own life. He would never allow them to be touched by the sadness of their making.

"I love you both so much," he crooned to them, kissing both of their faces in turn. "I promise I will never let any harm come to you."

XxX

 _Years passed and the young prince and his children continued to live in peace, but the war only continued to grow worse. It would not be long before it reached their peaceful home. What the young prince could not have known, however, was that his brother continued to dream about him. Every night when the crown prince lay down to sleep, he dreamt of warm laughter and lovely dark eyes…and more often than not, he dreamt of his beloved with two babies. He had never given up hope that his brother was somehow still alive, though the war had never allowed him time to search for him, and he sometimes tried to imagine that he had moved on, that he had found someone else to love and was raising their child in safety. Even though the thought of his love with another dwarf pained him greatly, he just prayed that his brother was not alone…that he had somehow found happiness, even though_ _**he** _ _never could._

_What no one could have foreseen, though, was that there was a traitor in their midst and he was very soon to make his move._

XxX

"If we cannot hold the river position, the valley is lost," Dwalin declared to a tent of rather despondent dwarves. A spike of bad weather was currently preventing the two armies from doing battle, but the fight had been going poorly prior to their unexpected reprieve. If any sort of break in the weather occurred, the war might very well be lost.

"Elrond attacks from the west…and Thranduil from the south…" Thorin said slowly as he perused the battle map. "Without the Iron Hills, Thranduil would overrun us."

"The elves can have them for all I care," Fili snarled quietly, never missing an opportunity to voice his opinion about the Iron Hills and their lord.

"Fili, show some respect," Thorin reprimanded him sharply. "Were it not for the intelligence given to us by Dain's agents, we may well have lost this war already."

"Actually, my King, I think it's safe to say that you have," another voice said as its owner entered the tent. The four dwarves looked up to see Dain, flanked by a fiercely armed contingent of warriors.

"Dain, what are you doing?" Thorin asked, even as the certainty of what was about to happen clenched at his innards.

"If the four of you will relieve yourselves of your weapons, this will all go much smoother. I'd hate to see blood spilt over such a simple matter."

"Hardly seems simple to me…a dwarf betraying his own king," Dwalin growled, battleaxe already in hand.

"Well, sadly, if you will not disarm, we will be _forced_ to disarm you."

"Murdering, traitorous _wretch!_ " Fili shouted, throwing himself at Dain, like he'd wanted to do for so many years. In his anger, though, he was easily intercepted by one of the old lord's guards, seized and forced to the ground, quickly stripped of all his weapons. In short order, Thorin, Dwalin, and Gloin were all forced down and similarly stripped.

"Dain! I demand to know…what is the meaning of this?!" Thorin snarled.

"Well, _Your Highness_ ," Dain began, strolling toward Thorin with a very self-satisfied look on his face, "while you've been fighting your little war, I've been using my influence to forge an alliance with our enemies. Thranduil will be perfectly happy to support me in a civil war against you and yours…although this is hardly a war…simply a coup."

"The people will never follow you. They will not stand to be ruled by a traitor," Thorin warned him.

"Oh, I think they will…for my house will do what yours would not, in your blind hatred of elves. I will bring the tired, hungry, war-weary masses peace. Besides, it won't even be me ruling them. It will be my dear boy, Ori…with the crown prince at his side, naturally," Dain said, looking to Fili with triumph in his eyes.

"I would rather die," the blond dwarf growled, struggling briefly against his captors.

"Oh, that can be arranged, little prince…but first, my son will be found to be pregnant by you…the result of a brief but passionate love that will end in tragedy when you are found murdered by agents of your own uncle, who called for your death when he learned you'd betrayed him for my Ori."

"I won't do it. You'll _have_ to kill me," Fili continued to argue.

"I don't need your cooperation. There are ways and ways again to ensure that your seed finds its way into his body."

"Dain…I _know_ it was you…who took Kili away from me that night. What did you do to my brother? Where is he?!" Fili demanded.

Dain sneered as he knelt beside Fili, getting in very close to him and stroking his blond tresses. "Your brother is _dead._ Haven't you always known that? Dead and buried in the ground for eight years."

"I…I don't believe you," Fili hissed, turning away from him so he wouldn't see the growing doubt in his eyes. His hope had been so fragile these last few years…to have it destroyed _now…_

"Don't you? I was there that night. I watched it happen. Nori tied him down…so he could watch every minute of his own death…and feel the terror of it. I watched my son bind him, strip him, _rape_ him…and finally behead him. If you don't believe me, I can take you to the place where we burned his corpse and buried what remained. I'm sure the _bones_ are still there…if the animals haven't got at them."

" _NOO!_ " Fili shrieked, going limp in his captors' grip, his frail hope finally broken after so many years. All this time, he had held a torch, through all the darkness, sorrow, and uncertainty…his only light…and now, to have Dain describe so precisely what had happened…to promise him evidence…he was broken. He could fight his despair no longer.

_Kili…Kili, wait! I…I'll be with you soon._

"You killed…Kili?" Thorin whispered, his outrage dropping into shock.

"Oh, yes…as I will all of you…when the time is right. It was _Fili's_ child your young nephew was pregnant with. _That_ was what got him killed. It began with a child and it will end with a child. Your lives will end when Ori bears Fili's child."

"You won't get away with this!" Gloin warned him.

"Quite the contrary, Lord of Moria," Dain insisted as he got to his feet. "I already have."

XxX

Fili lost awareness of the world around him after Dain told him of Kili's death. He wasn't at all aware of where he was dragged to, where he was imprisoned, where the others were…was hardly even aware that he was allowing his body to die…surely would have were it not for Dain's orders to have him force fed daily. He didn't really become aware of anything until he heard Ori calling out his name. When he slowly awakened from his daze, he found Dain's youngest son kneeling before him, hands resting on his belt.

"Fili…my Prince…I'm so sorry…but I must do this…I'm sorry. I know you don't want it…but I _must_ ," he said quietly, tears streaming down his face as he undid the belt and drew Fili's length out of his pants.

"Ori?" he murmured vaguely, reaching a hand forward to rest it in the younger dwarf's soft brown hair. "Where am I?"

"Oh, you…you're awake. I…I'd hoped you would remain in your trance for this. You've been…catatonic for near two weeks now…the time it took them to transport you all back from the front lines. You're in the castle dungeons in Erebor."

"And…the others?" he asked, still barely comprehending.

"In other cells…all still alive."

"Until you're with child, I suppose," Fili said, remembering what had happened…not thinking about what was _to_ happen.

"Yes…that's what my father wants…and I must do what he says…or I'll lose what I care about the most," Ori said, plainly miserable.

"You _don't_ want to bear the future ruler of our race?" Fili half-joked, unable to bring himself to care about anything anymore. "Am I so displeasing to the eye?"

"No…of course not, Your Majesty. It's just…I love another…and my father has promised to spare his life if I bear a child."

"Dwalin," Fili said quietly after several moments of thought, recalling several half-heard conversations and stolen glances over the last few years.

"Yes…he's the one. We met after Kili…after his death. But my father would never approve a marriage…always had his eye on _you._ "

"I'm sorry," Fili said, continuing to stroke Ori's hair without really thinking about it.

"No, Fili. If anyone's sorry, it should be me. I haven't fought hard enough. I've been a coward. Though…if it makes you feel any better…I believe I am with child already," Ori whispered to him.

"Dwalin's?" Fili asked, smiling faintly at him. Ori nodded, looking torn between happiness and guilt.

"Yes. I don't think…I can do anything to prevent your execution…but at least you can know…that you only ever fathered one child," Ori said, looking ready to burst into tears.

"Yes…and that child _died_ , Ori…along with his mother. Believe me…I don't _want_ this execution to be prevented. I've been running from the truth for eight years. Did…did you know…what they did to him…what they did to my love?" he whispered, feeling his own breath hitch as tears trembled just behind his eyes.

"No…but I've heard…that truly was awful. I didn't…know my brother was capable of such things. I'm so sorry."

"It isn't…your fault. It was _my_ fault. I was a coward…and I didn't protect him. I let Dain take him away from me. Ori…I just…the only thing I want is to be with Kili again…and you're helping me to do that. The sooner we can convince your father you are with child…the sooner he will set the execution date…and this long torment will finally end. So do what you must," Fili said, leaning back against the cell wall. He didn't really care about Dain, Thorin, Erebor, or any of it. All of the schemes and machinations had ceased to mean anything to him. All he knew was that he couldn't bear this charade of living anymore. All he wanted was to be with Kili once more…to tell him how much he loved him and how sorry he was. He was hardly even aware of it when Ori climbed up onto the cot he was situated on. All he could think about was Kili…the warmth that had once lit his eyes and the smile that had ever been on his lips…and how sweet those lips had tasted against his for that brief moment when their twin flames had burned so brightly within each other.

_Kili is dead. Kili is dead. Take from me this mask of life and let us be together at last._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I guess the twins are just my head cannon babies for these two, for those of you who remember them.


	3. Part 3

"Nuri! Shiri! If you don't stop running around this _instant_ , there'll be no supper for you tonight," Kili warned his children, then engaged in a rousing game of tag…but the last time they'd played tag, Kili's best bow had somehow been snapped. He loved his babies, but he honestly didn't want to find out what more they could break.

At the sound of his threat, both twins stopped running immediately, hurrying to the table with apologetic looks on their faces.

"We're sorry, Mama. We won't do it again," Shiri promised…even though all three of them knew it was half-hearted at best. Kili rolled his eyes and shook his head before ladling out three bowls of mutton stew and bringing them to the table, where Nuri was already itching to tear into the loaf of fresh-baked bread.

It was just like any other supper. The twins begged for details about Kili's day out in the forest hunting big game and they told him about their own day, lessons with Bilbo and picking berries with the other children. Kili was not at all expecting his life to change again when a knock sounded at the door near the end of the meal. Kili chuckled before draining his mead and going to the door, expecting to see Bombur with another loaf of bread or some other treat for Nuri and Shiri.

Well…Bombur _was_ there…along with his brothers and Bilbo…as well as Oin, Balin, Dori, and Nori. Immediately, Kili's face fell.

"What…what are you doing here?" he asked, already feeling himself start to tremble.

"We didn't want to believe these dwarves…when they came into town saying they were searching for a dwarf who'd come to us about seven or eight years ago…we didn't want to believe it was you…but I can see by your face that you recognize them. Kir…who are these people?" Bilbo asked him.

Shuddering, Kili turned to his children…his beloved babies…the only things in his life that still mattered.

"Nuri…Shiri…you…you can finish eating upstairs."

"Really?" Nuri asked, looking excited.

"We can?" Shiri pressed, looking suspicious.

"Yes. We'll talk later. If you're good and don't come down until I call you, there'll be some honey candy for you," he promised.

Both twins cheered and gathered up the rest of their supper, scrambling up to the upstairs loft with their dishes.

"Fili's children?" Oin asked as the group entered the little cottage. Kili nodded, already feeling a lump beginning to form in his throat. Why had they come _now?_ What could they _possibly_ want from him? That life was _over_ …wasn't it?

"What do you want?" Kili asked, beginning to clear the table, having lost all appetite.

"Actually, we came to beg you to return," Balin started.

"Why? What do you need _me_ for? I'm sure Fili is already…happily married by now. Can my children and I not simply live in peace?"

"Your brother's life is in great danger. He has need of you now," Oin told him.

"My brother doesn't need _me._ My brother _hates_ me," he insisted.

"You're wrong. How _wrong_ you are, Kili," the old physician insisted.

"Please, don't…don't do this to me. You have no idea what it took…for me to walk away from him. I _can't_ go back…not now. It will only break my heart."

"This Fili they speak of…that would be…Crown Prince Fili?" Bilbo asked. Kili nodded.

"Making you…Prince Kili…the brother long thought dead," Bombur finished. Again, Kili nodded, still not looking at his friends.

"And he is the father of the twins," Bofur added, again only receiving a nod.

"I…betrayed my brother…in order to conceive them. I lay with him without his knowledge…and he found out. If I hadn't left, he surely would have had me banished."

"It isn't true," Oin insisted again.

"Isn't _true?_ " Kili repeated with rage burning bright in his dark eyes. He certainly would have exploded at his visitors if he hadn't had the children to worry about. "You mean to tell me I _imagined_ that look of betrayal eight years ago? That I _imagined_ him turning from me and dropping that accursed mask as he ran? Have I somehow hallucinated these years of despair and heartache?"

"No…no one is denying what you've suffered. We're only trying to tell you you didn't see what you think you saw."

"What I _thought_ …Fili didn't get what he thought he was getting either. Whose fault is _that?_ " Kili spat back at the old healer. "Surely there was some spell on that mask to seduce him."

"No, Kili. Fili got exactly what he wanted that night. There was no spell on that mask but to protect your identity. The spark that existed between the two of you flared into flame that night because you both wished it. Deep down, Fili _knew_ who you really were; his waking mind just wouldn't allow him to see it. Do you really think a mere spell could have prevented your brother from recognizing you? Did you not feel the truth of Fili's love for you when you lay in his arms? He took you that night because he _wanted_ you. No other reason."

Feeling himself begin to tremble again, Kili wrapped his arms around his torso. The reality he had lived with for the past eight years was slowly starting to unravel. "Well, I…I had hoped…but I thought…what…what about when he ran from me?"

"He ran after seeing you with Dwalin," Balin explained. "He'd been sure he'd been with you that night…and when he saw you together, he thought he'd been wrong and that you could never love him as he loves you. _That_ was why he was upset. Fili told my brother the truth after Dain told us you were dead."

"Oh…oh, Mahal," Kili whispered, throat tightening as he fell to his knees. Bilbo and the three brothers rushed to him.

"Fili…Fili…what have I done? _Fili,_ " he sobbed quietly, clinging to his friends as they held him.

"My Prince…this is not the time for regrets. There is little time remaining," Dori said, stepping in for the first time.

"What…what are you doing here?" Kili asked as he looked up at the two brothers. "You wanted the crown for your own family. You would have killed me…and my children."

"You are correct…in thinking we would have killed…but not the reasons _why,_ " Nori said calmly.

"We have only ever wanted what was best for our little brother…and until recently, we thought what was best would be a marriage to the crown prince," Dori began to explain.

"But not now?" Kili pressed.

"No. We learned recently that Ori loves another…your former fiancé," Nori said.

"Dwalin?"

"Yes…but our father is too desperate for the crown and will permit no marriage. It is within his power to command it now that he has overthrown the king," Dori explained.

" _What?_ "

"Our father gained enough influence over the generals to rise up against Thorin. Marshal law is in effect and those loyal to Thorin are imprisoned, including your brother. He means to have them all executed once Ori is declared pregnant by the prince."

"No," Kili whispered. "He…he can't _do_ this."

"Thorin is trying to stop it from happening, but he wields little influence outside his cell. We few just barely managed to escape imprisonment. And Fili…Fili is not fighting at all. He's completely given up hope. He _wants_ to be executed…because he believes you dead," Balin explained to him, his expression heavy.

"Oh, Fili…no…no. What can I do?" he asked.

"You must rescue him. The only thing that will make Fili want to live again…make him fight back…is to see you alive," Oin said. "You must go back. To see you come back from the dead in service of the true royal family…it will break Dain's power. The generals will flock to your uncle once more."

"And…that will work?" Kili asked, allowing his friends to help him to his feet.

"Absolutely. No one save for Dain and his two eldest sons knew you still lived. _They_ came to _us_ with the knowledge," Oin said.

"And we can…trust the two of you?" Kili asked them, understandably leery.

"We want only our little brother's happiness. So long as that is within your power to give, we are yours to command," Nori said, his expression solemn.

"Well…I suppose that's the best we have for the moment. Only…what of Nuri and Shiri? They would be in danger. Dain would surely kill them if he had the chance."

"Your babes will remain here, safe with me, of course," Bombur said without hesitation. "Those two are like our own. I would never let anything happen to them."

"And the rest of us will join you and fight at your side," Bilbo declared.

"It will be dangerous," Kili warned them.

"So? You are our friend first and prince second. We'd brave danger for you any day," Bofur said. Bifur simply pounded a fist against his chest.

"Thank you…all of you. No dwarf ever had more loyal friends," Kili said, looking around to each of them.

"Well, lad, this is the love of your life. We've all seen how your heart's been breaking for him," Bofur said. "Don't see how you can let this chance go."

"Is first light too soon to leave?" Kili asked.

"Certainly not. The sooner, the better," Balin said.

After setting up pallets for his guests, Kili headed up to the loft to cuddle with his children for what may well be the last time, carrying a piece of candy for each of them.

"Who are they?" Shiri asked as she sucked on her treat.

"Oh, just some old friends of Mama's," he answered, cradling both twins tightly against his sides.

"What do they want?" Nuri asked, licking his piece of candy rather than sucking on it.

"They need me to come with them. I have to go on a trip in the morning. I…I have to go away for awhile."

"But…you'll be back soon, right?" Nuri asked, starting to sound uncertain. The longest they'd ever been separated from their mother was when he took one of his three day hunting trips deep into the forest.

"I don't… _know_ when I'll be back, exactly."

"Can't we come with you?" Shiri asked, her eyes widening, the first sign of tears. Shiri had her father's eyes, and Kili couldn't bear to see her cry. It was too much like his own brother.

"No. You have to stay here."

"But we want to be with _you,_ " Nuri insisted.

"I know…but it's not safe where I'm going."

"We don't care," Shiri continued to argue.

"Nuri…Shiri…I promise I will come back to you, but I need you to wait for me until I do. I would never abandon you. Bombur is going to look after you until I return. He loves you both very much. You like Bombur, don't you?" he asked, wiping away the tears that were beginning to trickle from their eyes.

"Uh-huh," the two dwarflings sniffled together.

"There now, you see? Everything's going to be just fine. Be good for me while I'm gone and I'll bring you both back something nice."

"How will you know if we're good?" Shiri pointed out, looking indignant through her tears.

"I'm your mama. I always know. Now, are the two of you ready for bed?" he asked as he climbed onto the pallet the two of them shared.

"You're…sleeping with us?" Nuri asked.

"Of course I am, my little rubies. I want to spend as much time as I can with you before I have to go away. So come to your mama," he said, holding out his arms for them. Smiling brightly, both twins immediately pounced him and they all three went crashing to the pallet. Kili laughed quietly to mask his tears, kissing their heads. "I love you both so much. I'm going to miss you."

"We love you, too, Mama," Nuri said, leaning up to kiss his cheek with sticky lips. It was a struggle for Kili not to outright sob as he cradled them close. He gently stroked their soft brown hair as he sang to them, every lullaby he could remember, until at last he felt them fall asleep in his arms. He did not let go, even after he himself had fallen asleep.

XxX

The next morning was painful and harried. The twins were both awake to see Kili off, but Shiri was the first to retreat back inside the cottage after hugging and kissing him goodbye, looking like she might cry. Nuri also gave Kili a hug and a kiss before following his sister back inside. At first, Kili thought it odd, as Shiri was usually the bolder of the two, but he was soon caught up in the preparations of heading out and forgot the strange incident. It was barely even light by the time the ragtag band of fighters left the village.

The group traveled with a wagon for supplies, but now they also would set half of the group to hide in the wagon so it would seem they were fewer in number and less of a threat. It wasn't until the end of their first day of travel and Kili was on shift to ride in the wagon that he realized his mistake.

There was talk among the group about stopping and setting up camp for the night when the young dwarf suddenly heard a sneeze…a very distinct, high-pitched sneeze that certainly did not come from him or any of his companions. Realizing what he'd heard, Kili felt anger stirring in his gut as he reached toward the barrel he'd heard the sneeze from. He quickly upended it…and the twins came tumbling out along with several half eaten apples.

"What are you doing here?" Kili demanded, his voice quiet, but full of latent rage.

"We…we _had_ to come," Nuri sniffled, turning to his sister in order to follow her lead.

"No. Don't look at her, look at me," Kili scolded his son. "You were supposed to stay home, where it was _safe_. What are you _doing_ here?"

"We had to come," Shiri finally answered, taking her brother's hand in her own. "We overheard…last night. You're going to find our papa…aren't you."

Kili ran his fingers through his hair several times, sighing and growling in frustration before finally answering, "Yes."

"Why? You said we shouldn't think about him."

"Because I love him, Shiri…and he needs my help."

"If…if you love him…does that mean you don't love us anymore?" she asked, her eyes starting to go wide.

"No. No, no, no, of _course_ not," he reassured them, pulling both twins into his arms. "Just because I love your father doesn't mean I love you any less. There's no limit to the love you have to give to others. I love all three of you. I want for us to be a proper family. Of course…that didn't mean I wanted you along on this very dangerous journey," he said, his mood quickly shifting back to anger. "Sweet Mahal, Bombur must be out of his mind."

"Well, we can't go back. We've no more time to waste," Balin said.

"Perhaps one of us could take them back home?" Bilbo suggested.

"No! Please! Don't send us back!" the twins begged. "We want to help!"

"You can help by not _dying,_ " Kili snarled at them, and immediately, both dwarflings went as meek as mice, eyes wide and lower lips trembling. Again, Kili sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I'm just worried for your safety. We'll decide what to do in the morning."

Kili insisted the twins stay hidden in the wagon at all times, not wanting it to become known they were traveling with children. He brought them supper from the evening fire and stayed close to them, not wanting them out of his sight. Thankfully, though, the solution to his problem arrived late in the night after most of the others had gone to sleep.

Bombur came riding into their camp on his stout pony, out of breath as the animal as he dismounted. As the others all jerked awake, the large dwarf came to Kili with a look of abject misery and apology in his eyes.

"Kir, I'm so sorry. I'd thought they were just hiding, and then…well…"

"It's all right. I know what little scamps they are," he scolded lightly as the twins shook themselves awake in his arms.

"Please. _Please_ don't make us go back," Nuri started to plead when Kili climbed out of the wagon.

"I _would_ send you back…except I don't think I can trust you not to run away again," Kili started, facing away from his children. "It seems the safest option at this point is to keep you with us."

Just as the twins began to cheer, Kili stopped them short with a glare. "This isn't a game. You're to keep to Bombur at all times. Wander off and you'll _both_ be punished. I don't care who the culprit is. Once we're inside the castle, you're to follow Bombur's orders. If he tells you to be quiet, you make not one sound. If he tells you to run, you run. If he tells you to hide, you hide. Absolutely no questions or arguments. Do you understand me?"

Both twins nodded at this, afraid to speak.

"Say it out loud. Say to me that you understand."

"We understand," they chorused quietly.

"And promise me you will do exactly as Bombur tells you."

"We promise."

"Good. Now that's settled, we should all probably get some more sleep."

True to their word, throughout the rest of the journey, the twins remained quiet and stuck to Bombur's side whenever they emerged from the wagon, fearing their mother's lingering displeasure. By the time the little band of fighters reached Erebor, all of them except for Dori and Nori boarded the wagon with rope wrapped loosely around their wrists to make it appear as if they were bound. Nuri and Shiri were meant to hide under a few old sacks, but they hadn't gone under just yet. They were both clinging to Kili as they drew closer to the castle gates.

"Mama, I'm scared," Nuri cried quietly.

"I told you this was dangerous," he whispered back, though he was saddened he couldn't embrace his frightened children. "You should've listened. So long as you stick with Bombur, nothing bad will happen to you."

"Will…will we get to see our papa?" Shiri asked.

"Yes. Just leave everything to Mama. You ought to hide now. I'll see you when it's over. I love you both," he reminded them, kissing the tops of their heads.

"We love you, too, Mama," they whispered, standing up on tiptoe to kiss his cheeks before diving under the burlap sacks.

When Dori and Nori drove the wagon up to the gates, one of the guards stepped up to inspect their passengers.

"What have we got here?"

"Loyalists," Nori answered, "being brought in for execution."

"More?" another guard asked. "They're already executing the king and his lords today. How many more necks are for the axe?"

Kili felt his stomach drop at this. _Today._ The execution was happening _today._ They wouldn't just be breaking Fili and the others out of the dungeon. They would be rescuing them from off the executioner's block itself.

"Well, may as well unload here. We can hold them in the cells until it's their turn."

Slowly, the six dwarves and lone hobbit disembarked from the wagon, all of them hooded and cloaked, and seeming incapacitated. When a detachment of the gate guards moved forward to take them into custody, though, they were suddenly armed to the teeth, leaping into the fray with swords, axes, and daggers.

It didn't take long to subdue the first round of guards, but it also didn't take long for a fresh wave to fall on them.

"Kili, go!" Oin ordered in the lull between. "Once they learn of the attack, they will push the executions forward! _Go!_ "

Falling back to the wagon, retrieving his bow and arrows, Kili rested a hand first on Shiri's head, then on Nuri's.

"Don't move unless Bombur tells you. I'm coming right back," he promised before heading off into the castle, easily remembering the way, even after nearly eight years.

_Hold on, Fili. Hold on. I'm coming. Please don't die!_

XxX

It was not a public execution. The only people gathered on the rooftop apart from those to be executed were Dain, Ori, and those generals who had defected to Dain. The day was overcast, though it looked like the sun might peek its head out. Fili didn't really notice any of this, though. He just felt cold…cold and empty. He had been pushed to his knees before the executioner's block, his wrists bound tightly behind him. There was really no need for it, though. He would have lain his own head down on the block. Now he was simply waiting for Dain to finish making his speech about the end of the old guard, eyes gazing vacantly out across the roof…at the stones that would soon run red with blood.

Fili was a grave looking to be filled with the peace of death.

Dain was, of course, congratulating himself as he spoke about how Fili's death would become a powerful symbol to the people and how the royal line would survive in his son. He hadn't needed the two princes to gain what was rightfully his after all. He hadn't even needed to reveal that Kili was still alive. In fact, he would probably send Nori to seek him out once the executions were over in order to tie up any loose ends. After so many years, he finally had his victory.

"Has the condemned any last words?" Dain asked, glancing toward Fili. Unsurprisingly, he remained unmoving.

"So be it. Then let Mahal receive our brother into his halls," he finished, signaling to the executioner. The black-clad dwarf raised his axe slowly…and was suddenly shot through the hand. As the dwarf screamed in pain, the axe clattered uselessly away.

"Don't you _dare_ hurt Fili."

The assembled group turned in the direction the voice and the arrow had come from to find a cloaked figure balanced precariously on the rampart, another arrow already drawn as the sun broke through the clouds.

"Who are you?" Dain demanded.

"A good question. I have been many these long years," the figure answered as he jumped down from the rampart. "I have been a son, a nephew, and a brother. I have been a boy in love…and a boy brokenhearted. I have been a lover and a liar…a boy in a mask. I have been a prince and a peasant…and the mother of two beautiful children. I have fought and I have bled. I have run like a coward…but I stand now to face your treachery," he said, moving slowly through the crowd of generals toward the executioner's block.

While all of this had been going on, something was beginning to wake up inside of Fili. He _knew_ that voice. He would know it anywhere.

_Could it…be?_

"Most important of all, though…I am he who was dead and now lives again," he announced, throwing back his hood to reveal his face…the face of the love Fili had missed so desperately. "I am Prince Kili…and I return to my beloved brother now in his hour of need."

"Kili?" Fili breathed in shock, a look of painful wonder alighting in his eyes…as if he almost didn't dare to believe what he saw.

" _You!_ " Dain snarled.

"You had nothing to fear from me so long as my brother was happy…and you mean to _murder_ him," Kili accused, eyes narrowing as he affixed the arrow to his bow without actually aiming it.

Dain shook his head. "You have returned only to _death_ , little prince. There is no one here who will fight for you."

"You think so?" Kili asked, casting his eyes around the gathering. Dain looked up to see that several of the generals had fallen to their knees, and those who hadn't were gazing upon Kili with shock in their eyes.

"He's come back…back from the grave," several of them were murmuring. Dain would have argued that he clearly had not been dead in the first place, but that would have meant admitting to the faked suicide before the generals he'd plotted so carefully to get into his pocket. Either way, he would lose them. Glaring at Kili, he pulled a dagger from his belt and moved to Fili's side, seizing him by the hair and holding the dagger to his neck. Briefly, Kili aimed his arrow.

"Shall we find out who's faster?" he challenged, pressing the blade harshly against Fili's skin and drawing a small trickle of blood. Fili hardly noticed. All he could really see was his brother…alive.

Kili lowered his bow only a fraction…and Dain used that fraction of a moment to act. He flung Fili to the ground and threw the knife at Kili. In that same moment, Kili re-aimed and fired.

Dain was pierced in the heart, falling dead within moments. Kili was also struck, but the slight turn he had made in order to fire prevented the blade from hitting its true mark. Kili still fell, though, pain shuddering his frame.

" _Kili!_ " Fili shouted, struggling to his feet and running toward his fallen brother.

"Kili! Kili!" he cried out as he crashed to his knees beside him, tears streaming down his face. "No! Please! Please don't be dead! Not now. Kili!"

Groaning in pain as he sat up, Kili reached for his brother, pulling him into his arms. "It's…all right…Fili. Don't cry," he soothed, being careful of the knife in his shoulder as he held him as tightly as he could.

Fili was laughing and crying at the same time, feeling both destroyed and reborn all at once as Kili held him in his arms. He wasn't really aware of Kili untying his bonds; all he knew was that he was suddenly holding his baby brother…the brother he'd thought never to see again in life. Even though Kili had begged him not to cry, they both wept openly as they embraced.

Neither was quite certain how much time passed, but when they pulled apart briefly, Fili reached into his shirt, drawing out the glass mask. He'd kept it on him as a talisman all this time and he would now be able to complete the act he'd left undone eight years ago.

Kili flinched from the black mask, but he allowed Fili to place it on his face. When the mask had been broken before, it had lost all of its power. As such, Fili knew his brother's face, even through the mask.

"It's _you,_ " he cried quietly, caressing every inch of Kili's beautiful face. "Oh, it's you. It was you all along."

"Fili, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. All these years, I thought you hated me…when I had really just abandoned you to…to _this._ "

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Fili whispered several times. "All that matters is that you're here now and _I love you,_ " he finally said the words out loud, with no lies or secrets between them, and at long last, their lips met in a tender kiss, and with every moment that passed they became more and more lost in each other.

"I love you," Kili whispered against Fili's lips. Somehow, he felt that the words had been poisoning him all his life and now that he was finally able to speak them his breath was clean after years of being foul and bitter. "I love you. I love you so…my brother…my love."

Neither brother was really aware of what was happening around them. All they cared to think about was each other. All they cared to do was hold each other…to breathe in the scent of the other and know the feel of the other after being denied for so long. It may well have been several hours before anyone could convince Fili and Kili to move from the spot where they'd at last come together.

XxX

Fili paced nervously as Oin treated Kili's knife wound.

"Kili…I don't know."

"Everything's going to be fine," the younger prince reassured his brother, wincing as Oin secured the bandages.

"But…what if they don't like me?"

"Are you serious? They'll love you…as I love you. Don't be afraid," he said, beckoning his brother closer for another sweet kiss. Once Oin left, he immediately sent in Bombur with the twins.

"Mama!" both children shouted, rushing to him and throwing their arms around him. Smiling, Bombur quickly ducked out.

"It was really scary!" Nuri cried.

"We were worried about you," Shiri said.

"It's all right. It's all right," he reassured them, hugging them both, wincing again as his wound was jostled. "Just…be gentle with me. Mama's a little hurt."

"Like that time I broke my arm?" Shiri asked, examining the bandages.

"A little bit like that," Kili said, smiling up at Fili, who looked like he wanted to bolt from the room.

"Nuri? Shiri? Remember how I said you would get to see your papa?" he asked, holding his children at arm's length.

"Yes."

"Uh-huh."

"Well…he's standing right there," he said, nodding in Fili's direction. Slowly, both dwarflings turned to look at him. For what felt like a long while, they just stared at him, and Fili almost wished he could just sink into the ground. Shiri continued to hold Kili's hand, looking uncertain. Nuri was the one to finally approach him, looking almost mystified.

"Papa?"

"Yes, Nuri…that's right. I'm your papa," Fili said, feeling his breath hitch in his throat as he dropped to his knees and held his arms out for the little boy. Grinning from ear to ear, Nuri rushed into them, hugging Fili tightly.

"Papa!"

"Yes…yes…" Fili said quietly, feeling tears prick at his eyes as he held the child he'd thought dead. "I'm your papa."

Shiri continued to hang back, still mistrustful. "You hurt my mama," she accused.

For a moment, Fili looked stricken, but then he nodded. "Yes…I did."

"Fili-"

"He's been sad all this time. He thinks we don't know…but we do. That was because of you," she said, her gaze hard as she looked at her father.

"That's true," he said sadly. If Shiri hated him, it was certainly no more than he deserved. It had been in his power to stop all of this eight years ago.

"Oh, Shiri, darling, no. That's not what-"

"But," Shiri interrupted her mother, "you make him happy now, so I guess you're all right," she finished, a very odd little smile twisting the corners of her mouth.

Fili and Kili both smiled at their daughter. If this was what she was going to give them, they would certainly take it. Shiri would warm to Fili with time, and maybe…maybe they _could_ be a real family.

XxX

When the long day finally began to end, Fili and Kili gave the twins Fili's room to sleep in, while they took Kili's old room, which had remained untouched ever since his disappearance…the room in which they'd conceived Nuri and Shiri…the bed on which they'd first lain together as lovers…and that they now finally returned to, never to be separated again.

"This will all take some getting used to for them," Kili said, twining his fingers together with Fili's as they lay next to each other. "They've only ever slept on a pallet before."

"Well…now they can live like the prince and the princess they are. I'll give you everything you've done without," Fili said, reaching his free hand forward to tangle it in Kili's hair.

"I'm sure you will. I don't doubt you love them…but it still won't be easy for them…this change. They've lived their whole lives in that village."

"Then we'll make the transition slowly. We can go back for awhile, let them see their friends…maybe bring a few of them to the city for a time."

"I'd like that. I have friends there, too," Kili said, trailing a hand along Fili's jaw line.

"No one I have to worry about, I take it?" Fili asked, smiling weakly. Kili could tell he was trying to joke, but he could also see the faint hint of worry in his eyes.

"No," he said, completely serious, leaning in to press his lips to Fili's. He knew he would never be able to have enough of kissing him. "You're the only one…the only one I've ever loved. I pray you never doubt that."

"Never," Fili said, kissing his brow. "For all my life to come…my faith is with you. I had thought all faith lost…when I thought you dead."

"You've been unhappy," Kili said softly, stroking Fili's unbraided hair. "I'm sorry."

"We've both suffered," Fili said, raising one of Kili's hands to his lips and kissing the palm. "Let us think no more of it. That time is over. There is sorrow enough in the world without us adding to it."

"Do you suppose…the way back to the village will be dangerous…without Dain and Thranduil's truce?"

"I'm not so sure. Thorin told me that a messenger arrived for Dain just before supper. Apparently the alliance is collapsing. The other elf leaders hadn't been aware Thranduil was aligning himself with a dwarf. There is turmoil in their ranks now. Even if the fighting doesn't cease altogether, it will certainly become less heated. I believe we will have a chance to recover," Fili said, kissing his brother's neck.

"That's wonderful," Kili said, groaning quietly as he leaned his head back to give Fili better access. "Did I hear right? That Dwalin and Ori will be married at the end of the week?"

"Yes…and I intend to marry you in the morning…if you'll have me," Fili said, taking a moment to look up at him. Kili smiled at him.

"A little sudden, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I won't let you slip away again…without letting you know how much you mean to me," Fili said, completely serious.

"I understand," Kili said, returning the kiss to the brow. "I don't think anyone will be particularly _pleased_ having to put a wedding together in such a hurry…but I understand."

"Well, they had better get used to weddings. Unless my eyes were much deceived, Uncle was displaying quite an interest in your hobbit friend," Fili joked.

"Heh, if the finest warrior in the kingdom couldn't win the king's heart, well…I suppose we'll just see what kind of chance Bilbo has," he teased back, even though part of him almost agreed. He had also seen some sort of spark ignite between the two. Whether that spark was anger, lust, or something else entirely remained to be seen.

"So…shall we get started on the wedding night early?" Fili asked, rolling until he was straddling Kili's hips. Kili grinned at him, running light, teasing touches along his brother's thighs.

"You'll get no complaint from me. It's been… _far_ too long," Kili said, rolling his hips to subtly grind up against Fili's. The blond prince moaned in barely suppressed delight. "And perhaps we might…get started on a sibling for the twins?"

Fili's grin widened a little more at this and he leaned down close to his lover, pressing a very heated kiss to his ear before whispering to him, "You'll get no complaint from me."

Kili inhaled sharply, shuddering against his brother. "Take me, Fili. Make me yours. I'm ready."

"As you wish, my love."

XxX

_The crown prince turned out to have an eerie gift for precognition that night. His new husband did indeed fall pregnant from their night together…the fighting with the elves soon ceased…and the king did in fact end up marrying the hobbit several years later._

_The young prince gave birth to another baby boy, and as the two princes had hoped, the wounds that had divided their family did manage to heal in time, freeing them from the pain they had unintentionally caused each other. They spent many happy years living between the capitol and the village where the twins had been born, and when the crown prince eventually ascended to the throne himself, it was with an even greater understanding of his people than most kings who had gone before him._

_And of course, because you are wondering, they did indeed live happily ever after._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To your satisfaction, I hope. Unless another all-consuming idea like this one comes along, I think my next fairytale will be something along the lines of 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon'.


End file.
